An act TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING ELECTIONS, the official text

Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.

1 State of Arkansas            A Bill
2 95th General Assembly

3 Regular Session, 2025                                          HOUSE BILL 1706

4

5 By: Representative McCollum

6 By: Senator Hester

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8                              For An Act To Be Entitled

9         AN ACT TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING ELECTIONS; TO

10        PROHIBIT RANKED CHOICE VOTING; AND FOR OTHER

11        PURPOSES.

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13

14                             Subtitle

15                       TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING ELECTIONS;

16                       AND TO PROHIBIT RANKED CHOICE VOTING.

17

18 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS:

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20        SECTION 1. Arkansas Code Title 7, Chapter 1, Subchapter 1, is amended

21 to add an additional section to read as follows:

22        7-1-116. Ranked choice voting prohibited.

23        (a) As used in this section, "ranked choice voting" means a voting

24 method that:

25        (1) Allows a voter to rank candidates for an office in order of

26 preference; and

27        (2) Has the ballots cast tabulated in multiple rounds following

28 the elimination of a candidate until a single candidate attains a majority

29 vote.

30        (b) Ranked choice voting shall not be used to determine the election

31 or nomination of a candidate to any local, state, or federal elective office

32 in this state.

33        (c) An existing or future ordinance enacted or adopted by a county, a

34 municipality, or other local governmental entity that is in conflict with

35 this section is void.

36        (d) This section shall not apply to a qualified elector who is

    *SSS165*                                                    03/04/2025 11:27:02 AM SSS165
   HB1706

 1 entitled to vote by absentee ballot under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens
 2 Absentee Voting Act, 52 U.S.C. � 20301 et seq., as it existed on January 1,
 3 2025, or who votes as a member of the uniformed services of the United States
 4 or a citizen residing outside the United States under � 7-5-406.
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