Signing of petition — Penalty for falsification — Notice of suspected forgery

  1. Law
  2. Arkansas Code
  3. Alcoholic Beverages
  4. Local Option
  5. Circulation of Petition for Local Option Election
  6. Signing of petition — Penalty for falsification — Notice of suspected forgery

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  1. (a)

    1. (1) A person signing a petition under this subchapter shall:

      1. (A) Be a registered voter; and

      2. (B) Sign his or her own name and print his or her own name, address, birthdate, and the date of signing on a petition in his or her own handwriting.

    2. (2) If a person signing a petition under subdivision (a)(1) of this section requires assistance due to disability, another person:

      1. (A) May print the name, address, birthdate, and the date of signing; and

      2. (B) Shall sign and print his or her name in the margin of the petition.

    3. (3) A person who is under eighteen (18) years of age shall not act as a canvasser.

  2. (b) A person commits a Class A misdemeanor if the person, acting as a canvasser, notary, sponsor, or agent of a sponsor knowingly:

    1. (1) Signs a name other than his or her own to a petition;

    2. (2) Prints a name, address, or birthdate other than his or her own on a petition unless the signer requires assistance due to disability and the person complies with this section;

    3. (3) Solicits or obtains a signature to a petition knowing that the person signing is not qualified to sign the petition;

    4. (4) Pays a person any form of compensation in exchange for signing a petition as a petitioner;

    5. (5) Accepts or pays money or anything of value for obtaining signatures on a petition when the person acting as a canvasser, sponsor, or agent of a sponsor knows that the person acting as canvasser's name or address is not included on the sponsor's list filed with the county clerk; or

    6. (6) As a sponsor, files a petition part with the official charged with verifying the signatures knowing that the petition part contains one (1) or more false or fraudulent signatures unless each false or fraudulent signature is clearly stricken by the sponsor before filing.

  3. (c) When the official charged with verifying the signatures has reasonable grounds to believe that one (1) or more signatures on a petition is forged, excluding signatures apparently signed by one spouse for another, the official shall report the suspected forgery and basis for suspecting forgery to:

    1. (1) The Department of Arkansas State Police, in the case of a statewide petition; or

    2. (2) The prosecuting attorney of the county, in the case of a local petition.


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