HB1039
To Amend Arkansas Law Concerning Absentee Ballots; And To Amend Arkansas Law Concerning Elections.
AI-Generated Summary
This bill proposes amendments to Arkansas law concerning absentee ballots and general elections. It alters the deadlines and methods for submitting absentee ballot applications. For in-person applications at the county clerk's office, the deadline is moved to the regular closing time on the Friday before election day. Mail-in applications must now be received by the county clerk seven days before the election. Designated bearers, administrators, and authorized agents have specific delivery deadlines for applications. The bill also modifies the methods for returning completed absentee ballots. Ballots can be delivered by a designated bearer, administrator, or authorized agent to the county clerk's office by 7:30 p.m. on election day, provided the voter is medically unable to vote at a polling site. Another option allows for ballot delivery by a registered voter, designated bearer, or administrator to the county clerk's office by the close of business on the Friday before election day. Finally, voters can personally deliver their ballots to the county clerk's office by the close of business on the Friday before the election.
Potential Impact Analysis
Who Might Benefit?
The primary beneficiaries of this bill would be registered voters in Arkansas who intend to vote absentee and who may find the modified deadlines and delivery methods more convenient or accessible. Election officials, particularly county clerks, would also benefit from clearer guidelines and potentially streamlined processes for handling absentee ballot applications and returns, assuming the changes lead to more predictable submission patterns. Individuals who act as designated bearers, administrators, or authorized agents for absentee voters might also benefit from the clarified procedures and extended delivery options.
Who Might Suffer?
Groups or entities that could be negatively impacted include absentee voters who rely on current, possibly later, deadlines for submitting their applications or ballots, as these are being moved earlier in some instances. Voters who are less technologically proficient or have limited access to transportation might find the new delivery requirements and earlier deadlines more challenging to meet. Mail carriers and postal services could be affected by the shift in mail-in application deadlines, potentially leading to fewer applications arriving within the new timeframe. Additionally, any absentee voters who were previously able to rely on delivery by an authorized agent on election day itself would have their options significantly curtailed.