Arkansas secretary of state rejects proposed abortion-rights amendment

By Tess Vrbin, Arkansas Advocate

Arkansas Secretary of State John Thurston rejected the submission of more than 101,000 signatures for a proposed constitutional amendment that would create a limited right to abortion.

The group that submitted the petitions Friday did not submit an affidavit identifying paid canvassers by name, as required by state law, Thurston wrote in a Wednesday letter to Lauren Cowles, executive director of Arkansans for Limited Government, the ballot question committee supporting the proposed amendment.

State law also requires ballot question committees to provide “a copy of the most recent edition of the secretary of state’s initiatives and referenda handbook to each paid canvasser” and to explain to canvassers the legal requirements for soliciting signatures before canvassing begins.

AFLG did not fulfill these requirements while the sponsors of other proposed ballot measures did, Thurston wrote.