Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official PDF posted by the Arkansas General Assembly, fetched 2026-07-23. Page and line markers are part of the official record; nothing is edited or removed. The official bill page.
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 1884
4
5 By: Representative Long
6
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8 For An Act To Be Entitled
9 AN ACT TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE MARKING AND
10 COUNTING OF PAPER BALLOTS; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
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12
13 Subtitle
14 TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE MARKING
15 AND COUNTING OF PAPER BALLOTS.
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17 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS:
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19 SECTION 1. Arkansas Code � 7-5-601(i), concerning the form of paper
20 ballots, is amended to read as follows:
21 (i) Each paper ballot to be hand counted shall contain a watermark or
22 an ultraviolet ink seal on the ballot with a unique placement of the
23 watermark or an ultraviolet ink seal for each election cycle.
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25 SECTION 2. Arkansas Code � 7-5-603(4), concerning the counting of
26 paper ballots, is amended to read as follows:
27 (4)(A) Upon Except as otherwise provided under subdivision
28 (4)(E) of this section, upon the close of the polls, the poll workers
29 immediately shall certify and attest the list of voters and continue the
30 count to completion, within twenty-four (24) hours of the close of the polls,
31 and with no significant breaks in the counting process.
32 (B)(i) A hand count of paper ballots shall be completed a
33 minimum of twenty-four (24) hours before the certification deadline.
34 (ii) If the hand count of paper ballots is not
35 completed a minimum of twenty-four (24) hours before the certification
36 deadline, the machine tabulated results under subdivision (1) of this section
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HB1884
1 shall be the certified results of the election.
2 (C)(i) If a poll worker becomes sick or incapacitated from
3 any other cause, the remaining poll workers shall continue the count until it
4 is completed.
5 (ii) The county board of election commissioners
6 shall ensure there is a minimum of four (4) poll workers available to
7 continue the count.
8 (D) All hand-count paper ballot totals shall be recorded
9 by race in each precinct, and posted at the designated hand-count location
10 upon the completion of the hand count of the paper ballots.
11 (E) Poll workers may be exempt from counting to completion
12 under this subdivision (4)(A) if, while the paper ballots are not being
13 counted, the paper ballots:
14 (i) Remain sealed in a double-locking hard shell
15 ballot box; and
16 (ii) Are stored in a locked room that is guarded by
17 a sheriff's deputy at all times;
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2 03/20/2025 2:14:58 PM SSS211Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.