Attorney behind Arkansas ballot initiatives on paper and absentee ballots says fight is far from over

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Two more ballot proposals have been rejected by Attorney General Tim Griffin as of Wednesday.

Griffin’s office issued two opinions on proposed ballot measures Wednesday. One would mandate paper ballots and the second would tighten the requirements for absentee ballots. Griffin’s opinion referred to both measures as being too vague.

“We’re in the business of getting this on the ballot in any way,” Clinton Lancaster, who is working on the two measures, said. “I don’t care how it happens, as long as it’s on there.”

Lancaster is representing the ballot committee Restore Election Integrity Arkansas on both constitutional amendments to protect election integrity in Arkansas.

“We just want to come in and make sure that nobody can change our elections,” he told KARK 4 News Wednesday.

When it comes to the initiative that would mandate paper ballots in the state, Griffin said some of the language in the proposal was too vague, including information on where the funding would come from. Lancaster clarified to KARK 4 News that the general assembly would have to allocate these funds.

Griffin raised similar concerns for the second ballot title: tightening requirements for absentee ballots.

In this opinion, he said the language was an issue, along with a lack of clarity on how certain processes would take place.

In both opinions, the AG found fault with how disabled voters would be defined and what allowances would be provided.

Lancaster said he is working on providing more clarity for both measures, and he hopes to have approval by early spring at the latest, so they can collect their 92,000-signature minimum from voters in 50 counties for the proposal to make it to the November 2024 general election ballot.

Lancaster said for the next submissions, they will also be providing copies to the Secretary of State’s office. Arkansas statute currently requires AG approval, but Lancaster said based on state constitution, he is under the understanding that the Secretary of State also has the power to approve ballot proposals.