LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – A controversial change to Arkansas voting registration law has been put on hold by a federal judge.
The ruling was the result of a lawsuit filed in the Western District of Arkansas stemming from an emergency rule from the state board of election commissioners to not allow electronic signatures in voter registration applications.
The suit filed by Get Loud Arkansas claimed this rule change violated the 1964 Civil Rights Act, though the board director argued that the reasoning for the rule was to provide more clarity to county clerks and potential voters with a sweeping rule that stays consistent across the state.
Attorney for Get Loud Arkansas Peter Shults and the group’s executive director Kristin Foster said this ruling comes at an important time as the deadline to register to vote approaches.
“With the deadline of October 7th approaching to register for this upcoming election, this was very important to have this really timely order in place so we could start moving forward,” Foster said.