Early voting for Arkansas’ preferential primary begins on Tuesday, marking the implementation of new election laws.
Arkansas lawmakers have created the Election Integrity Unit, granting the attorney general the authority to take legal action against individuals engaged in voter fraud and impose financial penalties.
“The public’s trust in our government is closely linked to their trust in our electoral process,” emphasized Attorney General Tim Griffin. He further highlighted the significance of the legislature’s efforts in granting his office the power to pursue civil legal action against individuals who breach election laws. Griffin stressed that this authority is a crucial tool in upholding the adherence to our laws, as the imposition of monetary damages can serve as a strong deterrent.”
Griffin’s office established a hotline for election law, specifically to address concerns and reports related to potential instances of election fraud.
According to the governor, the Election Integrity Unit was established last year to provide the people of Arkansas with a platform to report complaints and investigate any credible leads.
Last year, Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed into law several election-related bills, including the bill in question.
The Ballot Security Law of 2023 introduces a systematic approach for monitoring and distributing ballots.
Three additional bills are focused on addressing the issue of absentee ballots.
Act 353 has eliminated drop boxes for absentee ballots, requiring voters to either personally drop off their ballots at the county clerk’s office or mail them.
Under Act 320, county clerks may be charged with a misdemeanor if they provide a voter with a pre-filled absentee ballot or fail to verify the voter’s signature and identity.
Lawmakers have recently approved a bill that grants residents the right to vote absentee in the event of an election coinciding with a religious holiday.
There is another law that prohibits write-in candidates from appearing on the ballot and does not allow any write-in votes to be counted.
Arkansas ballots will feature former Republican presidential primary candidates who withdrew their campaigns after qualifying last November. Among the candidates who have dropped out are Ron DeSantis, Chris Christie, Doug Burgum, and Vivek Ramaswamy. The current race primarily involves former President Donald Trump and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, with Trump holding a substantial lead over Haley.
On Tuesday, March 5, also known as Super Tuesday, in-person voting will be held. This day is significant because 13 other states will also conduct their presidential preference primaries. However, it is worth noting that in some states, such as Alaska, only the Republicans will have a primary on this day. Additionally, Iowa Democrats will be counting their mail-in votes.
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