§ 7-9-111 - Determination of sufficiency of petition -- Corrections. - Arkansas Statutes

7-9-111. Determination of sufficiency of petition -- Corrections.

(a) (1) The Secretary of State shall ascertain and declare the sufficiency or insufficiency of each initiative and referendum petition within thirty (30) days after it is filed.

(2) The Secretary of State may contract with the various county clerks for their assistance in verifying the signatures on petitions. The county clerk shall return the petitions to the Secretary of State within ten (10) days.

(b) In considering the sufficiency of initiative and referendum petitions, if it is made to appear beyond a reasonable doubt that twenty percent (20%) or more of the signatures on any one (1) part thereof are fictitious, forged, or otherwise clouded or that the challenged petitioners were ineligible to sign the petition, which fact was known or could have been ascertained by the exercise of reasonable diligence on the part of the canvasser, then the Secretary of State shall require the sponsors to assume the burden of proving that all other signatures appearing on the part are genuine and that the signers are qualified electors and are in all other respects entitled to sign the petition. If the sponsors refuse or fail to assume and meet the burden, then the Secretary of State shall reject the part and shall not count as petitioners any of the names appearing thereon.

(c) If the petition is found to be sufficient, the Secretary of State shall certify and record the finding and do and perform such other duties relating thereto as are required by law.

(d) (1) If the petition is found to be insufficient, the Secretary of State shall forthwith notify the sponsors in writing, through their designated agent, and shall set forth his or her reasons for so finding. When the notice is delivered, the sponsors shall have thirty (30) days in which to do any or all of the following:

(A) Solicit and obtain additional signatures;

(B) Submit proof to show that the rejected signatures or some of them are good and should be counted; or

(C) Make the petition more definite and certain.

(2) Any amendments and corrections shall not materially change the purpose and effect of the petition. No change shall be made in the measure, except to correct apparent typographical errors or omissions.

(e) (1) To assist the Secretary of State in ascertaining the sufficiency or insufficiency of each initiative and referendum petition, all county clerks shall furnish at cost to the Secretary of State a single alphabetical list of all registered voters in their respective counties. The list shall be provided at least four (4) months before the election, and an updated list shall be provided at cost by September 1 in the year of the election. The list shall include the date of birth of each registered voter.

(2) The State Board of Election Commissioners, upon the request of the county clerk, may grant a waiver from this provision if the state board determines that the county clerk is unable to provide the list within the time required.

(f) A person filing initiative or referendum petitions with the Secretary of State shall bundle the petitions by county and shall file an affidavit stating the number of petitions and the total number of signatures being filed.

(g) All county initiative and referendum elections shall be held in accordance with the provisions of 14-14-917.

(h) Municipal referendum petition measures shall be submitted to the electors at a regular general election unless the petition expressly calls for a special election. If the date set by the petition does not allow sufficient time to comply with election procedures, then the city or town council shall fix the date for any special election on the referendum measure. The date of any special election shall be set in accordance with 7-11-201 et seq. but in no event more than one hundred twenty (120) calendar days after the date of certification of sufficiency by the municipal clerk.