Category: Constitution
By The Republic Standard News Staff
Arkansas Secretary of State Cole Jester and members of the state election board have petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to reinstate a voter-registration requirement for a handwritten, or “wet,” signature.
The petition, filed Friday, challenges an Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals decision that blocked the rule after pro-voting groups brought a case before the 2024 general election.
Arkansas does not provide online voter registration, and its registration deadline was Oct. 5. State law nevertheless permits an applicant who cannot sign to register with a mark, including an “X.”
The challengers argued that demanding a particular signature type violates the Materiality Provision of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Eighth Circuit concluded that the form of a signature does not determine whether someone is eligible to vote under Arkansas law.
State officials told the Supreme Court that the rule protects consistent election procedures and safeguards election integrity. In their petition, Jester and election board members said the lower-court decision “prevents Arkansas from enforcing an evenhanded voter registration law” statewide.
Arkansas also argued that requiring an original handwritten signature helps prevent voter fraud. The Eighth Circuit rejected that argument, finding the state had not provided evidence for the asserted fraud concern.
The appeals court wrote that county clerks do not examine original handwritten registration signatures “in an effort to detect fraud.”
Tags: Supreme Court, Elections, Cole Jester, Arkansas Election Board