The bill amends various provisions related to the filing period and petition requirements for political parties in Arkansas. Specifically, it changes the party filing period to a one-week timeframe, starting at noon one week before the first day of March and ending at noon on the second day of March in gubernatorial election years. In presidential election years, the filing period will begin at noon on the first Monday in November preceding the general primary election and end at noon on the eighth day thereafter. Additionally, the petition requirements for new political parties are modified to require a minimum of ten thousand registered voters in the state, rather than a percentage of votes cast in the previous gubernatorial election.

Further amendments include adjustments to the timing of signature validity, requiring that no signature dated prior to the first day of January following the general election be counted. New political parties must now file their petitions three weeks before the preferential primary election, rather than sixty days before the party filing period. The bill also stipulates that candidates nominated by convention must submit their political practices pledge by noon on the date of the preferential primary election, rather than during the party filing period. These changes aim to streamline the process for political parties in Arkansas.

Statutes affected:
SB 277: 7-7-203(c), 7-7-205(a), 7-7-205(c)
Act 462: 7-7-203(c), 7-7-205(a), 7-7-205(c)