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Behind the Lines
A look ahead at Election Day
Ahhh, it’s September in a general election year. As temps start to subside, the political heat is ramping up even higher than it has been for the last year. Voters and election officials can expect an early voting period and Election Day like we have never before seen. By the time I pen my next column, Arkansas voters will have cast ballots on seven initiatives and referendums and federal and state Senate and House seats while our country will elect a new President.
I thought it would be timely to address a few of our state’s laws regarding election procedures and provide some helpful links.
The State Board of Election Commissioners (SBEC) is required to summarize legislative changes after a session. See this link for summaries from the 2015 general assembly: https://static.ark.org/ eeuploads/elections/2015_Legislative_Update.pdf
Voter registration
Amendment 51 to the Arkansas Constitution was proposed through an initiative petition and approved by Arkansas voters in 1964. The statement of policy in Amendment 51 states: “The purpose of this amendment is to establish a system of permanent personal registration as a means of determining that all who cast ballots in general, special and primary elections in this State are legally qualified to vote in such elections, in accordance with the Constitution of Arkansas and the Constitution of the United States.”
“Permanent Registrar” means the county clerk in each of the several counties of this state, according to Amendment 51 § 2.
Amendment 51 also defines voter registration agencies as the office of Driver Services of the Revenue Division of the Department of Finance and Administration and all state revenue offices; public assistance agencies, which includes those agencies that provide services under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicaid Aid to Families with Dependent Children and the Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) programs; disabilities agencies that offer state-funded programs; public libraries; and the Arkansas National Guard.
The Secretary of State is designated by Amendment 51 as the chief election official and is mandated to prepare and distribute the pre-addressed postcard mail voter registration application forms. The amendment also describes the required training for employees necessary for those entities who will assist persons with voter registration applications and provides those training procedures be filed in a report every six months to the Legislative Council and the Secretary of State including recommendations for improvements.
If you haven’t registered to vote for this historic election, be mindful of the deadline to register — 30 days prior to the election. If you are mailing in an application, it must me postmarked by the 30-day deadline.
Poll watchers
The certainty of an election that will garner heightened attention also will bring the increased participation of poll watchers.
The SBEC “Rules on Poll Watchers, Vote Challenges and Provisional Voting” is the best summary of these rules and regulations.
The SBEC guidebook states that a poll watcher is “any authorized representative of a candidate, any authorized representative of a group seeking passage or defeat of a measure on the ballot, and any authorized representative of a political party with a candidate on the ballot who is present at a polling site or an absentee ballot processing site to observe and ascertain the identity of persons presenting themselves to vote at the polls or to observe and ascertain the identity of absentee voters for the purpose of challenging any voter in person or for the purpose of challenging any absentee vote.”
Poll watchers who are not candidates are required to file a “Poll Watcher Authorization Form” with the county clerk and a “file-marked copy presented to an election official immediately upon entering the poling site, absentee ballot processing site or counting site.”
Candidates who wish to witness an early voting counting site or an absentee ballot processing site “must present identification, but are not required to present an authorization form,” according to the SBEC guidebook.
The SBEC entire guidebook can be located online at https:// static.ark.org/eeuploads/elections/FINAL_Provisional_Voting_Rules_with_comments_20151215.pdf
Ballot initiatives and referendum
The 90th Arkansas General Assembly approved three Constitutional amendments before they adjourned in 2015. Go to the following link to learn more on all the issues: http://www. uaex.edu/business-communities/voter-education/state-ballotissues.aspx.
At this time, Arkansas citizens through the initiative petition process have placed four items on the November ballot. Some of those will need to survive current court challenges, however.
These proposed Constitutional amendments include:
Issue No. 4 — An Amendment to Limit Attorney Fees and Damages in Medical Lawsuits.
Issue No. 5 — An Amendment to Allow Three Casinos to Operate in Arkansas in Boone, Miller and Washington counties.
Issue No. 7 — The Arkansas Medical Cannabis Act.
Voters will navigate lengthy ballots in November. So educate yourself and let’s all remember to keep our cool at what will most likely be very busy polls this fall. Voting is one of our most sacred rights.
Behind the lines
Scott perkins Communications Director
