Opinion ID: 1676194
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: ballot title/ballot form

Text: Appellees, as cross-appellants, contend that the ballot title or ballot form of Section 4 of Act 1 is misleading because it does not include any of the terms of Act 1, such as the nomination of appointed delegates and the filing deadlines for elected delegates, among others. Appellees also contend the ballot form is misleading because it does not allow a voter to approve the calling of the convention, yet reject any or all of the twenty-six appointed delegates. The ballot form is stated in Section 4 of Act 1 and reads as follows: (1) For calling a Constitutional Convention to propose a new Constitution for the State of Arkansas, as provided in Act ___ of the Acts of the First Extraordinary session of the Eightieth (80th) General Assembly of 1995, and subject to the terms of that Act, and electing the nominated Convention delegates listed below: (Names of 26 nominated delegates from the General Assembly) (2) Against calling a Constitutional Convention. Relying on Riviere, 270 Ark. 206, 604 S.W.2d 560, the chancellor ruled that the people would be able to ratify the terms and restrictions of Act 1 at the December 12 special election even though the terms and restrictions are not expressly disclosed in the ballot form. The chancellor therefore concluded the ballot form was not misleading. The form of the ballot proposed by a constitutional convention cannot be misleading. Riviere, 270 Ark. 206, 604 S.W.2d 560. Constitutional convention ballot forms must submit proposals for approval or rejection or for adoption or rejection as required by section 7-9-310, formerly Ark.Stat.Ann. § 2-112, Harvey, 248 Ark. 35, 450 S.W.2d 281, and Pryor, 258 Ark. 188, 523 S.W.2d 199. Riviere, 270 Ark. 206, 211, 604 S.W.2d 560, 562. Riviere holds that, when a vote is taken in the form of For X and Against X, any limitations associated with a convention's proposal or any change from a general election to a special election is ratified in the vote. Id. Since the ballot form at issue here is in the for-against format, we cannot say the chancellor erred in interpreting Riviere and holding the ballot form at issue is not misleading. As for appellees' argument that the form is misleading because it does not allow voters to vote for the calling of the convention without also voting for all twenty-six appointed delegates, that issue was not ruled upon by the chancellor. It was appellees' burden, as cross-appellants, to obtain a ruling on that issue. Brumley, 320 Ark. 310, 896 S.W.2d 860. Their failure to obtain the ruling left the matter unresolved, which operates as a waiver of the issue for purposes of appeal. Id.