Arkansas Board of Election Commissioners does away with electronic signatures for voter registration; Group says decision will enhance voter suppression

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The Arkansas Board of Election Commissioners passed a rule Tuesday doing away with electronic signatures for voter registration, a move one organization claims will result in voter suppression.

Board Director Chris Madison said it is meant to provide more clarity to county clerks and potential voters.

He referenced Amendment 51 under state law, which bans third-party organizations from registering potential voters themselves with digital signatures and only allows ‘authorized computer voter registration agencies’ to do so.

Former state senator Joyce Elliott’s organization Get Loud Arkansas had been registering future voters using the e-signature and seeing encouraging numbers from the method. She said Tuesday she feels the group is being targeted now as a result.

“There’s not something that we’ve done wrong, so that’s what leads me to think well maybe it’s the result of the work we’re doing, as a result of having that platform that makes it easier for people to access the ballot,” Elliot said.

Madison said another concern was digital signatures resulting in even more problems once the voter needs an absentee ballot and the two signatures don’t line up, or if a voter moves counties and one doesn’t accept the digital signature the voter used in another, since not all counties were accepting digital signatures.

“We don’t want voters having problems in November because of things going on right now,” Madison said. “That’s what this is about. It’s not about one particular group or anything. This issue hasn’t come up before so it’s one of those things we’ve got to address it now.”

Secretary of State John Thurston’s Public Relations Director, Jamie Land also provided a statement.

“The Secretary of State is focused on ensuring clarity and uniformity for all county clerks and voters across Arkansas before the November General Election,” the statement read. “Today’s procedures starts the process of providing direction to our county clerks statewide to ensure voter registration uniformity.”

This is only a temporary rule, which will go into effect immediately once signed off on by legislators.

Madison added that the board is welcoming public feedback on a permanent rule and will have meetings where Arkansans can provide input.

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