The House defeated SB 485 to eliminate the Monday before an election as an early voting day. The vote was 39-43, with three voting present and others not voting. The roll call will be here, but it had obvious bipartisan opposition.
A motion to clinch the vote failed, so it can be called IP for another vote. The bill failed four times in committee before slipping out in a hurry-up, lightly attended night session.
Rep Justin Gonzales said the bill would give poll workers a break to prepare for election day. He said Arkansas would still rank 12th among the states in the number of early voting days.
The day has been in effect for 24 years and drew more than 50,000 voters on Monday last year. Rep. Vivian Flowers said poll workers don’t move machines and she said she knew two clerks in opposition to the bill, contrary to what Gonzales had indicated in response to an earlier question.
Gonzales said it was his understanding poll workers had requested this, but said he had talked to none.
Democrats spoke against the bill. Rep. Monte Hodges put it simply: “What is the purpose of limiting early voting?” Answer: Fewer people voting, as is the aim of the rest of the Republican voting legislation agenda.
Rep. Joy Springer invoked her mentor, the late John Walker, and said this was another bill to suppress voters. She said the legislature is making the case for federal law to take over once again, as the 1964 Voting Rights Act did.
Rep. Jack Ladyman angrily responded that he was tired of being threatened with federal intervention. “This is not voter suppression.” He said larger counties account for a disproportionate number of early votes but rural counties have to stay open for few voters.
Rep. Nicole Clowney said the bill addresses problems that aren’t experienced here and was adopted whole from the vote suppression agenda in Georgia. It chips away at “free and fair” elections, she said. Rep. Jamie Scott said the bill would affect Democrats and Republiicans alike and will disproportionately affect people of color.
Several speakers mentioned the turnout of people protesting the bill at the Capitol this morning.