Arkansas election officials have rejected petitions submitted for an abortion-rights ballot measure that organizers hoped to put before voters this fall in a predominantly Republican state. The secretary of state’s office cited the failure of the group to submit required statements regarding paid signature gatherers as the reason for the rejection.
The petitions, submitted by supporters of the proposal, totaled more than 101,000 signatures. However, the office determined that even if the signatures from volunteers were accepted, the total fell short of the required amount of at least 90,704 signatures from registered voters.
The proposed constitutional amendment aimed to bar laws banning abortion in the first 20 weeks of gestation and allow the procedure later in pregnancy under specific circumstances such as rape, incest, threats to the woman’s health or life, or fetal viability issues.
The U.S. Supreme Court's 2022 ruling removing the nationwide right to abortion prompted a state-by-state push to address the issue. Arkansas currently only allows abortion to protect the mother’s life in a medical emergency.
The ballot proposal faced opposition from both sides of the abortion debate. While it did not receive support from national abortion-rights groups like Planned Parenthood due to its 20-week ban provision, it also encountered resistance from local abortion opponents, including the Family Council Action Committee.
Despite the rejection, the group behind the proposal, Arkansans for Limited Government, expressed determination to challenge the disqualification attempt. The group vowed to continue fighting for the measure, emphasizing their commitment to the cause.
Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, a Republican who opposed the measure, criticized the rejection, labeling the pro-abortion crowd in the state as 'immoral and incompetent.'
The proposed ballot measure's disqualification highlights the ongoing debate over abortion rights in Arkansas, a state where anti-abortion sentiments are prevalent among top elected officials.
