An act TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE DATE OF AN 10 ANNUAL SCHOOL ELECTION, 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                                           SENATE BILL 292

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5 By: Senator K. Hammer

6 By: Representative Rose

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8                          For An Act To Be Entitled

9   AN ACT TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE DATE OF AN

10  ANNUAL SCHOOL ELECTION; TO MOVE THE ANNUAL SCHOOL

11  ELECTION IF THE ANNUAL SCHOOL ELECTION IS SCHEDULED

12  ON A STATE HOLIDAY IN CERTAIN INSTANCES; TO DECLARE

13  AN EMERGENCY; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.

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15

16                         Subtitle

17                       TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE DATE OF

18                       AN ANNUAL SCHOOL ELECTION; TO MOVE THE

19                       ANNUAL SCHOOL ELECTION IF THE ANNUAL

20                       SCHOOL ELECTION IS SCHEDULED ON A STATE

21                       HOLIDAY IN CERTAIN INSTANCES; AND TO

22                       DECLARE AN EMERGENCY.

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

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26  SECTION 1. Arkansas Code � 6-14-102(a)(1)(A), concerning the date of

27 the annual school election, is amended to read as follows:

28  (a)(1)(A) The annual school election shall be held in each school

29 district of the state:

30                         (i) In even-numbered years, on the date of the:

31                         (a) Preferential primary election; or

32                         (b) General election; and

33                         (ii)(a) In Except as provided in subdivision

34 (a)(1)(A)(ii)(b) of this section, in odd-numbered years, on the:

35                         (a)(1) Second Tuesday in November; or

36                         (b)(2) Second Tuesday in May.

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                                                                            SB292

1            (b) An annual school election that is

2 scheduled to occur in a month in which the second Tuesday of the month under

3 subdivision (a)(1)(A)(ii)(a) of this section falls on a state holiday shall

4 be held on the third Tuesday of that month.

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6       SECTION 2. EMERGENCY CLAUSE. It is found and determined by the

7 General Assembly of the State of Arkansas that ensuring adequate

8 participation in elections preserves the public peace, health, and safety as

9 it ensures that the results of elections fairly reflect the will of voters;

10 that the holding of elections on a state holiday prevents many voters from

11 participating in an election and could potentially lead to election results

12 that do not reflect the overall will of voters; and that this act preserves

13 the public peace, health, and safety by ensuring that the annual school

14 election will not occur on a state holiday to allow appropriate participation

15 in the election to ensure fair and accurate results. Therefore, an emergency

16 is declared to exist, and this act being immediately necessary for the

17 preservation of the public peace, health, and safety shall become effective

18 on:

19           (1) The date of its approval by the Governor;

20           (2) If the bill is neither approved nor vetoed by the Governor,

21 the expiration of the period of time during which the Governor may veto the

22 bill; or

23           (3) If the bill is vetoed by the Governor and the veto is

24 overridden, the date the last house overrides the veto.

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