HB1040
To Create The Water In Line Act Of 2025; And To Amend The Law Concerning Penalties For Misdemeanor Offenses Related To Voting.
AI-Generated Summary
This bill, "The Water in Line Act of 2025," aims to amend existing Arkansas law regarding misdemeanor offenses related to voting. The legislative findings indicate a concern that a previous act, Act 728 of 2021, may have criminalized certain activities that are not electioneering. These activities include volunteers providing water or food to voters in line, family members accompanying elderly or disabled voters, and children joining their parents in line. The bill proposes to repeal a specific subsection of Arkansas Code § 7-1-103(a)(24). This subsection deals with prohibiting entry or remaining within one hundred feet of a polling place entrance, with exceptions for lawful purposes. The stated intent is that repealing this provision would not affect the existing prohibition on electioneering within that same distance. The bill seeks to clarify or modify penalties for certain minor voting-related offenses.
Potential Impact Analysis
Who Might Benefit?
The primary beneficiaries of this bill, if enacted, would likely be voters waiting in line, particularly those who are elderly or disabled, and their companions. Volunteers who wish to provide water or food to voters in line would also benefit, as would parents who want their children to accompany them while they vote. Essentially, any individual or group whose actions, related to supporting or accompanying voters in line, might have been inadvertently criminalized by Act 728 of 2021 and the repealed section of code would stand to benefit from the clarification and potential decriminalization of these acts.
Who Might Suffer?
This bill, by repealing a specific provision related to being within one hundred feet of a polling place, might negatively impact election officials or poll watchers who are tasked with ensuring the integrity of the voting process and preventing undue influence or interference near polling locations. The original intent of such proximity restrictions is often to create a buffer zone to prevent harassment or the spread of misinformation. By removing this specific prohibition, there is a potential for increased activity or presence within this zone, which could create challenges for maintaining a neutral voting environment, although the bill states it would not affect electioneering prohibitions.