Direct democracy ballot reform push launches in Arkansas

• It would also streamline legal reviews and prohibit the state Legislature from amending or repealing constitutional amendments.

The big picture: Arkansas voters can change or reject laws enacted by the state Legislature through a citizen-initiated ballot process.

• Changes can be in the form of a proposed ballot initiative as a state statute (a change to a law) or a constitutional amendment (a more significant change to the state's constitution). They may also repeal legislation with a veto referendum.

Yes, but: In recent years, lawmakers have made the process more difficult, passing laws that riddle it with technicalities and all but require a group to be well funded to gather petition signatures.

State of play: The amendment's key provisions include:

• Prohibiting the General Assembly from amending a voter-approved constitutional amendment.
• Limiting challenges to the state Supreme Court to 45 days after the attorney general's office approves the language of ballot titles, and preventing challenges after signatures have been collected.
• Ensuring the names and titles of referendums align with those assigned by the General Assembly to the laws they seek to repeal.

• Requiring separate votes on legislation and its emergency clause, with at least 24 hours between.
• Barring the General Assembly from proposing amendments to the direct democracy process to voters, ensuring the people of the state initiate the process.
• Allowing canvassers to submit signatures under penalty of perjury, eliminating the need for notarization, streamlining the process.

The bottom line: The group needs to collect 90,704 signatures by July 3, 2026, in 50 of 75 counties.