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HB 1884

Surplus property; Surplus Property Act of 2025; effective date.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Mark Lepak

HB 1884 would require watermarked or UV-sealed paper ballots and strict hand-count timing, with certification rules prioritizing hand counts over machine results if timelines aren’

Second Reading referred to Rules
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · HB 1884

HB 1884 — Summary (2025)

Status: Died in House committee (Sine Die adjournment, 2025-05-05)
Primary sponsor: Rep. Long
Subject classification: Ways and Means

Note on source material: The provided text conflates multiple, inconsistent drafts and entries (including Arkansas election-law amendments and an unrelated Illinois appropriations provision). This summary focuses on the substantive Arkansas-language amendments contained in the HB 1884 draft you provided. Procedural dates below reflect the entries supplied; the bill ultimately died in committee.

Purpose

To amend state election law governing the form, security and hand-counting procedures for paper ballots. The draft emphasizes added ballot security features and stricter timing, staffing, and reporting requirements for hand counts.

Key provisions

  • Ballot security feature (Arkansas Code § 7-5-601(i)):

    • Each paper ballot to be hand-counted must include either a watermark or an ultraviolet (UV) ink seal.
    • The placement of the watermark or UV seal must be unique for each election cycle.

  • Hand-count timing and certification (Arkansas Code § 7-5-603(4)):

    • Poll workers must begin and continue counting immediately at poll close and complete the count within 24 hours of poll closing, with no significant interruptions.
    • A hand count must be completed a minimum of 24 hours before the certification deadline.
    • If the hand count is not completed at least 24 hours before certification, then machine-tabulated results (per subdivision (1)) become the certified election results.
    • If a poll worker is incapacitated, remaining workers must continue; county boards must ensure a minimum of four poll workers are available to continue counting.
    • All hand-count totals must be recorded by race in each precinct and posted at the hand-count location when counting is completed.

  • Security exemption for uninterrupted counting:

    • Poll workers may be exempted from continuing the count to completion if, while not being counted, paper ballots:
    • Remain sealed in a double-locking hard-shell ballot box; and
    • Are stored in a locked room guarded at all times by a sheriff’s deputy.

Who would be affected

  • County and local election officials (responsible for ballot design, procurement, staffing, and compliance).
  • Poll workers (minimum staffing requirements, counting responsibilities).
  • Sheriffs’ offices (duty to guard sealed ballots when exemption is invoked).
  • Voters (procedural changes could affect timing of results/certification and transparency).
  • Vendors supplying ballots or security inks/watermarks (new specifications).

Fiscal and operational impacts

  • Potential increased costs to produce watermarked or UV-sealed ballots and to implement unique placement by election cycle.
  • Staffing costs to ensure minimum of four poll workers and possibly to cover sheriff deputy guarding duties.
  • Operational risk: provision allowing machine-tabulated results to be certified if hand counts miss the 24-hour-before-certification threshold could affect contest outcomes and public confidence if hand counts are delayed.

Procedural / timeline notes

  • Introduced: January 16, 2025 (per provided entry).
  • Read/committee actions: multiple readings and referrals recorded in March 2025; ultimately listed as “Died in House Committee at Sine Die adjournment” on May 5, 2025.
  • Companion bills referenced: SB 820 and HB 107 (listed as companions in the provided materials).

Caveat

The provided packet also contains unrelated language (an Illinois appropriation for child-care grants) and a title referencing bonds for Hinds County road improvements. Those elements appear to be from different bills and are not consistent with the Arkansas election-law amendments summarized above.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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