Committee debates bill to tighten voter rolls and share cross‑state data; sponsor to redraft

Senator McKee introduced legislation intended to improve the accuracy of Arkansas’s voter registration rolls by increasing information sharing with other states and automating matches against DMV and death records.

Shantel McGraw from the Secretary of State’s office said the goal is to identify voters who have moved or died so counties can keep rolls current and ensure voters receive the correct ballots. “This section…informing the voter that if they fill out that application and give it to a third‑party person, that it may not be delivered in time,” McGraw said during questions about third‑party registration delivery.

Committee members raised several concerns during prolonged questioning. Senator Flowers asked whether people who move between states would be automatically accused of fraud if their name remained on an Arkansas roll; staff replied the intent is to match and document registrations, not to accuse voters who did not vote in multiple states. Senators also pressed on the mechanics and cadence of “regular” checks, the criteria that would trigger cancellation, and whether the proposal would increase purging of eligible voters. Staff described existing odd‑year mailings used to confirm addresses and said daily matching also occurs with agency data, but sponsors agreed to clarify timing and language.

Senator McKee agreed to pull the bill to work with the Secretary of State’s office and other members on clearer wording—especially to refine a warning on the voter‑registration application about third‑party handling and to specify the meaning of “regularly” for roll checks.

What’s next: Sponsor will redraft and return with clarified language on registration delivery timing, definitions for ‘‘regular’’ checks and documentation about cancellations.