Arkansas Secretary of State Rejects Abortion Rights Ballot Initiative

On Thursday, July 11th, Arkansas Secretary of State John Thurston rejected a proposed ballot measure aiming to enshrine abortion rights in the state’s constitution. The initiative, led by the group Arkansans for Limited Government, was disqualified due to missing required paperwork associated with the signatures collected.

Thurston stated that the group did not submit necessary statements confirming that it had informed its paid canvassers about the state’s signature-collection process and failed to identify these canvassers by name. “By contrast, other sponsors of initiative petitions complied with this requirement. Therefore, I must reject your submission,” Thurston wrote in his letter.

Rebecca Bobrow, spokesperson for Arkansans for Limited Government, expressed the group’s determination to challenge the decision. “We will fight this ridiculous disqualification attempt with everything we have,” Bobrow stated. She emphasized that the organization had cooperated with the Secretary of State’s office throughout the process to ensure compliance with all rules and regulations.

The group had announced that it collected over 100,000 signatures, exceeding the approximately 90,700 required to place the measure on the general election ballot. However, Thurston’s decision invalidated 14,143 of those signatures, leaving the group short of the needed amount.

Arkansas is among 11 states where efforts are underway to place pro-abortion rights amendments on fall ballots. So far, such measures have been officially certified in six states: Colorado, Maryland, Florida, South Dakota, Nevada, and New York. In four other states—Arizona, Missouri, Montana, and Nebraska—organizers have submitted signatures but must still clear additional hurdles before the initiatives can appear on ballots.

The rejected Arkansas measure sought to protect abortion access up to 18 weeks after fertilization and included provisions for cases of rape, incest, fatal fetal anomalies, and when the pregnant woman’s life or physical health is at risk. 

Arkansas’ stringent abortion laws, activated after the United States Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, have resulted in nearly all abortions being banned, with exceptions only when the woman’s life is at risk. The state Health Department reported zero abortions performed last year, and Arkansas was named “the most pro-life state in America” by the anti-abortion group American United for Life.

Despite facing staunch opposition in the deeply conservative state, Arkansans for Limited Government remains committed to pursuing their cause. Bobrow reiterated the group’s resolve, indicating that they are prepared for a prolonged battle to secure abortion rights for Arkansans.