Court gives Thurston until Monday to count signatures on abortion question

(The Center Square) — The Arkansas Supreme Court said Secretary of State John Thurston has until Monday to count the signatures on a petition for a proposed ballot amendment on abortion.

The group Arkansans for Limited Government submitted the petition for the amendment that would allow abortion up to 18 weeks of pregnancy and prevented the state from banning abortion in cases of rape, incest, the mother's health or fatal fetal anomaly. Arkansas banned abortion except in cases where the mother's life is in danger after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022.

Thurston said the petition did not satisfy the requirements for appearing on the ballot, specifically saying in his initial ruling that the group failed to identify paid canvassers by name or provide a signed statement that a copy of the secretary of state's handbook for canvassers. He also discounted more than 14,000 signatures, leaving the group 3,322 short of the 90,704 valid signatures needed to appear on the November ballot.

Arkansans for Limited Government asked the Arkansas Supreme Court to order Thurston to count the signatures. The Court issued the order approving their request late Tuesday.

"On behalf of 101,000 Arkansas voters, 800 volunteers, and the AFLG team, we thank the Court for upholding democracy in Arkansas," the group said in a statement. "We are heartened by this outcome, which honors the constitutional rights of Arkansans to participate in direct democracy, the voices of 101,000 Arkansas voters who signed the petition, and the work of hundreds of volunteers across the state who poured themselves into this effort.

"Today’s decision is reflective of our state motto: 'The People Rule,' and we look forward to that principle guiding the rest of the signature verification process."

Thurston's office did not immediately respond to a message from The Center Square seeking comment.