Deadline nears for Arkansas' citizen-led initiative petitions

Arkansans hoping to vote on several issues in November have until Friday to sign petitions.

Why it matters: The Natural State is among 25 that allow citizen-initiated ballots to change or reject laws enacted by the state legislature. But getting on the ballot requires a percentage of registered voters to apply ink to paper by July 5.

The big picture: Several grassroots groups are working to refine state laws, including eliminating the so-called tampon tax and modifying absentee ballot procedures.

All of the initiatives are important, but a few in particular connect with the heart of debate among people on all sides of the political spectrum:

1. The Arkansas Abortion Amendment of 2024 , spearheaded by Arkansans for Limited Government , would allow abortion through the first 18 weeks of pregnancy.

• Read coverage, where to sign .

2. The Arkansas Educational Rights Amendment of 2024 , drafted by For AR Kids , would deny state or local money to any nonpublic school that fails to meet the same academic standards, standards for accreditation or assessment requirements as public schools.

• Read coverage, where to sign .

3. The Arkansas Government Disclosure Amendment and the Arkansas Government Disclosure Act by Arkansas Citizens for Transparency seek to ensure citizens have a constitutional right to transparency and broaden portions of the state Freedom of Information Act.

• Read coverage, where to sign .

4. The Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment of 2024 would mostly relax regulations, like allowing medical professionals other than doctors to sign off on medical marijuana cards. Read more .

Between the lines: Signature requirements vary for each of the three forms of citizen-initiated proposals, based on a percentage of the votes cast in the most recent gubernatorial election.

• State statute changes require 8% (72,563 signatures); constitutional amendments require 10% (90,704); and veto referendums require 6% (54,422). No veto initiatives are circulating now.

The bottom line: A new law requires signatures to be collected from registered voters in at least 50 of the state's 75 counties , up from the previously required 15.