In the Weeds: The Arkansas Ballot Measure Rights Amendment

by Kristin Higgins - May 26, 2026

Go into the weeds with us on the "Arkansas Ballot Measure Rights Amendment," a proposed 2026 ballot issue. Find links and more information about the proposal.

We will publish a voter guide on all 2026 Arkansas ballot issues in September. In the meantime, this blog post shares information about this proposed citizen initiative.

Ballot Information

The popular name may be called the title by some people:

The Arkansas Ballot Measure Rights Amendment

Sometimes called a ballot summary, this is the information that appears on voter petitions and would appear on the ballot if the issue qualifies:

This measure amends Article 5, § 1 of the Arkansas Constitution. It gives the people the fundamental right to make and repeal laws by petition. It gives Arkansas registered voters the fundamental right to sign a petition. It gives U.S. citizens who have not been convicted of certain crimes the fundamental right to collect signatures on a petition. It defines “petition fraud.” Petition fraud is a criminal offense. The legislature decides the penalty range for this crime. The measure repeals the legislature’s authority to pass other petition fraud laws. The government must notify registered voters before it can reject their signatures. Notice is provided by mail, phone, and email, if possible. If voters timely correct signature problems, their signatures are counted. The government shall not require petition signatures to be from more than 15 counties. The legislature may amend or repeal an initiated act by a 2/3 vote. The legislature shall not amend a constitutional amendment approved by a vote of the people. A county quorum court may amend or repeal an initiated county measure by a 2/3 vote. A city council may amend or repeal an initiated local measure by a 2/3 vote. The ballot title of a referendum shall be “This referendum repeals…” followed by the title of the Act. The Secretary of State must publish a notice that informs the public of a measure’s popular name and ballot title. The notice explains how to contest the name and title. The notice shall be made in a statewide newspaper. It will be on the Secretary of State’s website too. Any lawsuit against the ballot title must be filed within 10 business days after the notice is published. If the sufficiency of a ballot title or popular name is challenged, the Arkansas Supreme Court has jurisdiction. The Court quickly reviews these lawsuits. Lawsuits against petitions require clear and convincing evidence. If the government discovers a scrivener’s or filing error, it notifies the sponsor right away. The sponsor has 10 business days to correct the error. The government shall not reject the measure if the error is timely corrected. The government shall not reject a measure that substantially complies with the law. Any laws affecting this amendment must be clerical. Only registered voters’ signatures are counted. Previously, canvassers signed an affidavit. This changes the affidavit to a declaration. The declaration is made under penalty of perjury. This measure repeals all inconsistent state laws. This amendment is severable. If part of it is held invalid, the rest is still valid if it can stand on its own.

Voters see the popular name and ballot title on Election Day. The full text of proposed amendments do not appear on the ballot.

Read the full text of the amendment.

The Arkansas Attorney General is responsible for certifying that popular names and ballot titles are free from misleading information. Only after this certification can sponsors start collecting voter signatures.

Date Certified: July 28, 2025

Read the AG's Opinion

Sponsors must collect signatures from at least 90,704 Arkansas voters, with a certain percentage coming from at least 15 counties. A judge ruled that a state law requiring signatures from 50 counties was unconstitutional. The state has appealed this decision to the Arkansas Supreme Court.

The deadline to submit signatures is July 3, 2026.

Secretary of State's Initiatives and Referenda Handbook

 

Ethics Commission Information

Supporters and opponents of a proposed ballot issue are required to file paperwork with the Arkansas Ethics Commission upon raising or spending $500. 

To see the financial statements filed by Arkansas Citizens for Transparency, go to https://www.arkansasethics.com/ and click on "LO-BQC, BQC, AND LQC FILINGS"

Use the drop down menu to find the group's name. Doing this will reveal their filings with the Arkansas Ethics Commission.

As of May 26, 2026, there are no opponents registered with the Arkansas Ethics Commission.

 

Websites

Websites for supporters and opponents will be added as they are known.