Arkansas Code of 1987 (2023) › Title 7 - ELECTIONS (§§ 7-1-101 — 7-11-303) › Chapter 1 - GENERAL PROVISIONS (§§ 7-1-101 — 7-1-115) › Section 7-1-101 - Definitions

As used in this title, unless the context or chapter otherwise requires:
(1)
"Administrator" means the administrative head of a long-term care or residential care facility licensed by the state who is authorized in writing by a patient of the long-term care or residential care facility to deliver the application for an absentee ballot and to obtain or deliver the absentee ballot to the county clerk;
(2)
"Affidavit of eligibility" means an affidavit signed by a candidate for elective office stating that the candidate is eligible to serve in the office he or she seeks;
(3)
"Audit log" means an electronically stored record of events and ballot images from which election officials may produce a permanent paper record with a manual audit capacity for a voting system using voting machines;
(4)
"Authorized agent" means a person who is identified and authorized to deliver the application, obtain a ballot, and deliver the ballot on the day of the election to the county clerk for an applicant who is medically unable to cast a ballot at a polling site due to an unforeseen medical necessity as set forth in an affidavit from the administrator of a hospital or long-term care or residential care facility;
(5)
"Canvassing" means examining and counting the returns of votes cast at a public election to determine authenticity;
(6)
"Certificate of choice" means a certificate, signed by an executive officer of a political group that submits a petition to place its candidates for President and Vice-President on the ballot, designating the names of its candidates to appear on the ballot;
(7)
"Constitutional officers of this state" means the offices of the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General, Auditor of State, Treasurer of State, and Commissioner of State Lands;
(8)
"Counting location" means a location selected by the county board of election commissioners with respect to all elections for the automatic processing or counting, or both, of votes;
(9)
"Designated bearer" means any person who is identified and authorized by the applicant to obtain from the county clerk or to deliver to the county clerk the applicant's ballot;
(10)
(A)
"Drop box" means:
(i)
A receptacle, box, or other physical structure used to receive absentee ballots; and
(ii)
That is available for public use.
(B)
"Drop box" does not include a receptacle, box, or other physical structure that is provided by or used by a mail carrier authorized to receive or deliver absentee ballots under law;
(11)
(A)
"Election media" means any device used in an election definition or to record votes cast with a direct record electronic machine or voting machine.
(B)
"Election media" includes without limitation:
(i)
Memory stick devices; and
(ii)
Personal computer cards;
(12)
"Election official" or "election officer" means a person who is a member of the county board of election commissioners, a person who performs election coordinator duties, a person who is a poll worker designated by a county board of election commissioners to be an election clerk, election judge, or election sheriff, or a deputy county clerk or a person assigned by a county clerk to conduct early voting;
(13)
"Electronic poll book" means hardware or software or a combination of hardware and software that allows election officials to view voter registration records and voting information during an election at an early voting location or at a polling site on election day;
(14)
"Electronic vote tabulating device" means a device used to electronically scan a marked paper ballot for the purpose of tabulation;
(15)
"Fail-safe voting" means the mechanism established under the National Voter Registration Act of 1993,
52 U.S.C. § 20501
et seq., that allows a voter who has moved within the same county to vote at his or her new precinct without having updated his or her voter registration records;
(16)
"First-time voter" means any registered voter who has not previously voted in a federal election in the state;
(17)
"General or special election" means the regular biennial or annual election for election of United States, state, district, county, township, and municipal officials and the special elections to fill vacancies therein and special elections to approve any measure. The term as used in this act shall not apply to school elections for officials of school districts;
(18)
"Infamous crimes" for the purposes of Arkansas Constitution, Article 5, § 9, includes:
(A)
A felony offense;
(B)
A misdemeanor theft of property offense;
(C)
Abuse of office, §
5-52-107
;
(D)
Tampering, §
5-53-110
; or
(E)
A misdemeanor offense in which the finder of fact was required to find, or the defendant to admit, an act of deceit, fraud, or false statement;
(19)
"Majority party" means that political party in the State of Arkansas whose candidates were elected to a majority of the constitutional offices of this state in the last preceding general election;
(20)
"Marking device" means any approved device operated by a voter to record the voter's choices through marking or creating a paper ballot with ink or other substance that will enable the votes to be tabulated by means of an electronic vote tabulating device;
(21)
"Member of the merchant marine" means:
(A)
An individual employed as an officer or crew member of:
(i)
A vessel documented under the laws of the United States;
(ii)
A vessel owned by the United States; or
(iii)
A vessel of foreign-flag registry under charter or control of the United States;
(B)
An individual enrolled with the United States for employment or training for employment or maintained by the United States for emergency relief service as an officer or crew member of any such vessel; or
(C)
As defined in the federal Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act,
52 U.S.C. § 20301
et seq., if different from the definition stated in this subdivision (21);
(22)
"Minority party" means that political party whose candidates were elected to less than a majority of the constitutional offices of this state in the last preceding general election or the political party that polled the second greatest number of votes for the office of Governor in the last preceding general election if all of the elected constitutional officers of this state are from a single political party;
(23)
(A)
"Nonpartisan candidate" means a candidate for the office of Justice of the Supreme Court, Judge of the Court of Appeals, circuit judge, district judge, or prosecuting attorney.
(B)
"Nonpartisan candidate" does not include a candidate for nonpartisan municipal office;
(24)
(A)
"Nonpartisan election" means a general, special, or runoff election for the office of Justice of the Supreme Court, Judge of the Court of Appeals, circuit judge, district judge, or prosecuting attorney.
(B)
"Nonpartisan election" does not include a general, special, or runoff election for a nonpartisan municipal office;
(25)
(A)
"Nonpartisan office" means the office of Justice of the Supreme Court, Judge of the Court of Appeals, circuit judge, district judge, or prosecuting attorney.
(B)
"Nonpartisan office" does not include a nonpartisan municipal office;
(26)
"Party certificate" means a written statement or receipt signed by the secretary or chair of the county committee or of the state committee, as the case may be, of the political party evidencing the name and title proposed to be used by the candidate on the ballot, the position the candidate seeks, payment of the fees, and filing of the party pledge, if any, required by the political party;
(27)
"Party filing period" means the period of time established by law for the candidate for a political party's nomination to file his or her party certificate with the Secretary of State or county clerk, as the case may be;
(28)
(A)
"Political party" means any group of voters that at the last preceding general election polled for its candidate for Governor in the state or nominees for presidential electors at least three percent (3%) of the entire vote cast for the office.
(B)
A group of electors shall not assume a name or designation that is so similar in the opinion of the Secretary of State to that of an existing political party as to confuse or mislead the voters at an election.
(C)
When any political party fails to obtain three percent (3%) of the total votes cast at an election for the office of Governor or nominees for presidential electors, it shall cease to be a political party;
(29)
"Polling site" means a location selected by the county board of election commissioners where votes are cast;
(30)
"Precinct" means a geographical area, the boundaries of which are determined by a county board of election commissioners in order to facilitate voting by the registered voters from that geographical area;
(31)
"Primary election" means any election held by a political party in the manner provided by law for the purpose of selecting nominees of the political party for certification as candidates for election at any general or special election in this state;
(32)
(A)
"Printed campaign materials" means:
(i)
Literature mailed to an elector that is intended to or calculated to influence the vote of an elector in an election in this state, including without limitation signs, banners, flyers, and pamphlets; and
(ii)
Yard signs and push cards intended to or calculated to influence the vote of an elector in an election in this state.
(B)
"Printed campaign materials" does not mean political paraphernalia, including without limitation stickers, buttons, pens, T-shirts, nail files, or other similar trinkets;
(33)
"Provisional ballot" means a ballot:
(A)
Cast by special procedures to record a vote when there is some question concerning a voter's eligibility; and
(B)
Counted contingent upon the verification of the voter's eligibility;
(34)
"Qualified elector" means a person who holds the qualifications of an elector and who is registered pursuant to Arkansas Constitution, Amendment 51;
(35)
"Sample ballot" means a ballot for distribution to the public or the press marked with the word "SAMPLE" so as to prevent the production of counterfeit ballots;
(36)
"Uniformed services" means the United States Army, United States Navy, United States Air Force, United States Marine Corps, United States Coast Guard, the United States Commissioned Corps of the Public Health Service, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps, or as defined in the federal Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act,
52 U.S.C. § 20301
et seq., if different from the definition stated in this subdivision (36);
(37)
"Vacancy in election" means the vacancy in an elective office created by death, resignation, or other good and legal cause arising prior to election to the office at a general or special election but arising subsequent to the certification of the ballot;
(38)
"Vacancy in nomination" means the circumstances in which:
(A)
The person who received the majority of votes at the preferential primary election or general primary election cannot accept the nomination due to death or notifies the party that he or she will not accept the nomination due to serious illness, moving out of the area from which the person was elected as the party's nominee, or filing for another office preceding the final date for certification of nominations; or
(B)
There is a tie vote for the same office at a general primary election;
(39)
(A)
"Vacancy in office" means the vacancy in an elective office created by death, resignation, or other good and legal cause arising subsequent to election to the office at a general or special election or arising subsequent to taking office and before the expiration of the term of office in those circumstances wherein the vacancy must be filled by a special election rather than by appointment.
(B)
"Vacancy in office" does not apply to the election of a person at a general election to fill an unexpired portion of a term of office;
(40)
(A)
"Verification of voter registration" means:
(i)
Presenting a document or identification card when appearing to vote in person that:
(a)
Shows the name of the person to whom the document or identification card was issued;
(b)
Shows a photograph of the person to whom the document or identification card was issued;
(c)
Is issued by the United States, the State of Arkansas, or an accredited postsecondary educational institution in the State of Arkansas; and
(d)
If displaying an expiration date, is not expired or expired no more than four (4) years before the date of the election in which the voter seeks to vote; or
(ii)
Submitting with an absentee ballot verification of voter registration in the form of a copy of a document or identification card that complies with the requirements of subdivision (40)(A)(i) of this section.
(B)
A document or identification card may be presented in a digital format on an electronic device if the document or identification card:
(i)
Complies with the requirements of subdivision (40)(A) of this section; and
(ii)
The digital format has been approved or issued by the United States, the State of Arkansas, or an accredited postsecondary educational institution in the State of Arkansas.
(C)
Documents and identification cards that comply with the requirements of subdivision (40)(A) of this section include without limitation:
(i)
A driver's license;
(ii)
A photo identification card;
(iii)
A concealed handgun carry license;
(iv)
A United States passport;
(v)
An employee badge or identification document issued by an accredited postsecondary educational institution in the State of Arkansas;
(vi)
A United States Armed Forces identification document;
(vii)
A public assistance identification card if the card shows a photograph of the person to whom the document or identification card was issued; and
(viii)
A voter verification card under §
7-5-324
;
(41)
"Vote center" means an election day location designated by the county board of election commissioners at which a qualified elector from any precinct in the county holding the election may vote;
(42)
"Voter-verified paper audit trail" means a contemporaneous paper record of a ballot printed for the voter to confirm his or her votes before the voter casts his or her ballot that:
(A)
Allows the voter to verify the voter-verified paper audit trail before the casting of the voter's ballot;
(B)
Is not retained by the voter;
(C)
Does not contain individual voter information;
(D)
Is produced on paper that is sturdy, clean, and resistant to degradation; and
(E)
Is readable in a manner that makes the voter's ballot choices obvious to the voter without the use of computer or electronic code;
(43)
"Voting machine" means either:
(A)
A direct-recording electronic voting machine that:
(i)
Records votes by means of a ballot display provided with mechanical or electro-optical components that may be actuated by the voter;
(ii)
Processes the data by means of a computer program;
(iii)
Records voting data and ballot images in internal and external memory components; and
(iv)
Produces a tabulation of the voting data stored in a removable memory component and on a printed copy; or
(B)
One (1) or more electronic devices that operate independently or as a combination of a ballot marking device and an electronic vote tabulating device; and
(44)
"Voting system" means:
(A)
The total combination of mechanical, electromechanical, or electronic equipment, including the software, firmware, and documentation required to program, control, and support the equipment that is used to:
(i)
Define ballots;
(ii)
Cast and count votes;
(iii)
Report or display election results; and
(iv)
Maintain and produce any audit trail information; and
(B)
The practices and documentation used to:
(i)
Identify system components and versions of components;
(ii)
Test the system during its development and maintenance;
(iii)
Maintain records of system errors and defects;
(iv)
Determine specific system changes to be made to a system after the initial qualification of the system; and
(v)
Make available any materials to the voter, including without limitation notices, instructions, forms, or paper ballots.
Amended by Act 2023, No. 353,§ 1, eff. 8/1/2023.
Amended by Act 2023, No. 292,§ 1, eff. 8/1/2023.
Amended by Act 2021, No. 729,§ 1, eff. 7/28/2021.
Amended by Act 2019, No. 684,§ 2, eff. 7/24/2019.
Amended by Act 2017, No. 787,§ 1, eff. 8/1/2017.
Amended by Act 2017, No. 633,§ 4, eff. 8/1/2017.
Amended by Act 2015, No. 1218,§ 3, eff. 7/22/2015.
Amended by Act 2015, No. 1218,§ 2, eff. 7/22/2015.
Amended by Act 2015, No. 1218,§ 1, eff. 7/22/2015.
Amended by Act 2015, No. 1042,§ 1, eff. 7/22/2015.
Amended by Act 2013, No. 1389,§ 1, eff. 8/16/2013.
Amended by Act 2013, No. 1297,§ 1, eff. 8/16/2013.
Amended by Act 2013, No. 1211,§ 1, eff. 8/16/2013.
Amended by Act 2013, No. 1126,§ 1, eff. 8/16/2013.
Amended by Act 2013, No. 1110,§ 1, eff. 8/16/2013.
Amended by Act 2013, No. 724,§ 3, eff. 8/16/2013.
Amended by Act 2013, No. 595,§ 1, eff. upon the later of the following: 1/1/2014, or the appropriation and availability of funding to the Secretary of State for the issuance of voter identification cards under Section 5 of this act.
Acts 1969, No. 465, Art. 1, § 1; 1971, No. 261, § 1; 1977, No. 888, § 3; A.S.A. 1947, § 3-101; Acts 1987, No. 123, § 12; 1991, No. 241, § 1; 1995, No. 946, § 1; 1995, No. 963, § 1; 1997, No. 445, § 1; 1997, No. 1082, § 1; 1999, No. 1342, § 1; 2003, No. 994, § 1; 2003, No. 1731, § 1; 2005, No. 2233, § 2; 2007, No. 224, § 1; 2007, No. 1020, § 1; 2009, No. 250, § 1; 2009, No. 659, § 5; 2009, No. 959, § 2; 2009, No. 1480, § 14; 2011, No. 203, § 1.