Senate panel backs tighter rule to stop prefilled voter-registration forms, limits change to party field

The committee approved an amended bill that prohibits distribution of voter-registration applications that are prefilled and — after a negotiated change — specifically requires the form's party-affiliation field be delivered blank to the applicant.

Senator Ben Kroll, the bill sponsor, said the measure was intended to stop instances in which stacks of forms were prefilled and handed out at community events or party meetings, leaving applicants unaware that a party choice had already been marked on their behalf. "We've had instances where they will prefill it and that is something we don't want to do," Kroll said.

County election officials and the Association of Arkansas Counties described cases where outside parties took stacks of forms from clerks and distributed them prefilled to groups outside the registrar's presence. Lindsey French of the Association of Arkansas Counties said a county clerk received a batch of clearly prefilled forms that had not been completed in the clerk's presence.

Committee discussion focused on how to preserve legitimate forms of assistance for voters while preventing improper prefiling. Senator Clark and Senator Tucker suggested narrowing the bill so that only the party-affiliation field must be left blank; sponsors agreed to send language to the Bureau of Legislative Research (BLR) and return an amendment later in the day. Members ultimately adopted that narrower approach and passed the measure as amended.

Committee members also clarified that registrars can still help applicants who request assistance and that federal or other state rules for disability assistance remain in effect. Senator Payton and others asked whether a registrant who signs a blank form and later asks someone to finish writing in details would be covered; sponsors said assistance on request would remain permitted but unsolicited prefiling would be prohibited.

Senator Hammer later returned the bill to the committee with an engrossed amendment; after final consideration the committee passed the bill as amended by voice vote. The transcript records the chair announcing the bill "passes" after the aye responses; no roll-call tally appears in the transcript.

Ending: The bill moves forward from committee as amended; sponsors said they would work with BLR to finalize wording to ensure assistance rules and disability exceptions are preserved.