A bill that would prevent others from staying close to polling stations is before the Arkansas Senate.
Senate Bill 486, through Senator Kim Hammer, Republican for Benton, would prohibit others from entering or remaining in a domain within a hundred feet of the front of a voting site to vote, unless a user enters or leaves construction for “legal purposes. “
Supporters of the bill said it aimed to prevent voter intimidation, electoral activities, and violations of the US Disability Act. While the parties to the conflict said it too broadly and can prevent nonprofits from distributing food and water.
Hammer joined the sb486 presentation and 3 other expenses related to the Senate Government Affairs and State Agencies Committee elections on Tuesday through Kristi Stahr, president of the Pulaski County Electoral Commission, and former state speaker Doug House, R-North Little Rock.
Stahr said he had heard several early voting court cases about others providing food tickets to the electorate and installing polling stations blocking entrances to polling stations, and a case of a candidate giving food to election officials.
Loriee Evans, organizer of Indivisible Little Rock and Central Arkansas, said the voter education organization believes the bill “imposes crimes on people” that can bring water to the electorate waiting in long queues.
Committee member Senator Bob Ballinger, Republican for Ozark, said he thought the bill would not prohibit others from delivering bottled water, but would prevent others from installing food stalls within a hundred feet of the front of the polling station. .
“For me, he’s obviously not protected,” Evans said.
A committee member, Senator Trent Garner, a Republican of El Dorado, stated that a partisan crusade takes a position in polling stations under the guise of nonpartisan activity.
Another committee member, Senator Clarke Tucker, a Little Rock Democrat, said he supported preventing voter harassment and blocking entries, but said the bill is not transparent enough about exceptions for others within a hundred feet of the front of the voting station.
A split vote sent SB476 to the state Senate for consideration.
The committee also Senate Bill 487, which would make the status quo of polling places only a duty of county election commissioners, and Senate Bill 488, which would amend the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act to exempt ballots that can be released to the public.
Senate Bill 485, which would be put to early voting last Monday before the election, failed after two committee members voted against the bill.
Senate Bill 556, passed by Senator Mark Johnson, Republican for Ferndale, which would put a procedure in place for the state Board of Election Commissioners to succeed a county council in an emergency, failed to advance to the committee on Tuesday.
Votes on SB485 and SB556 have been removed and possibly forwarded to the committee at a later date.