United States – Republican Secretary of State John Thurston announced on Wednesday that two crucial documents were missing from the petitions submitted by organizers, specifically statements for the paid canvassers list and confirmation that canvassers were informed of the rules for gathering signatures, as reported by Reuters.
Organizers Deny Missing Documents
However, the Arkansans for Limited Government, the proponents of the initiative rejected Thurston’s allegations that they did not complete all necessary documents. They refuted the Secretary of State’s claim saying it was ‘absurd and patently untrue.’
Over 101,000 Signatures Collected
Last week alone the group was able to gather 101,208 signatures to support the measure where as the required number to get the measure into the poll was 90,704. According to Thurston’s office, 14,143 of these signatures were obtained by paid individuals, which, in turn, did not meet the threshold of unpaid volunteers as required by law.
“We will fight this ridiculous disqualification attempt with everything we have,” declared Arkansans for Limited Government.
National Abortion Rights Campaign
This is the part of a larger drive to put abortion rights questions in the referendums in nearly a dozen states in 2024. After the US Supreme Court rolled back the constitutional right to abortion with the watering down of Roe vs. Wade, voters in red states like Kentucky and Ohio have voted for every measure to expand and safeguard reproductive rights.
Further particulars of the proposed measure
The proposed ballot measure for Arkansas seeks to enshrine the right to an abortion to 20 weeks of pregnancy, but with several conditions; if the woman was raped or became a victim of incest the abortion would be permitted, if the woman’s life is in danger, or if the fetus is not viable, as reported by Reuters.
In their statement, Arkansans for Limited Government opined that they had been in touched with Thurston’s office up to the time they delivered the petitions.