A recent ruling by the Arkansas Supreme Court has ordered the state to count the signatures collected by volunteers in support of an abortion-rights measure. The ruling comes after the state had previously rejected the signatures due to a technicality related to the wording on the petition.
The measure in question, known as the Arkansas Abortion Rights Campaign, aims to protect the right to an abortion in the state. The campaign had collected over 50,000 signatures from residents in support of the measure, which would have put it on the ballot for voters to decide on.
However, the state had invalidated a large number of these signatures because the wording on the petition did not exactly match the wording approved by the attorney general’s office. This decision had sparked outrage among abortion-rights advocates, who argued that the state was purposely trying to suppress their efforts.
In response to the legal challenge, the Arkansas Supreme Court ruled that the state must count the signatures collected by volunteers for the abortion-rights measure. The decision was met with relief and joy by supporters of the campaign, who saw it as a major victory in their fight for reproductive rights.
Moving forward, the state will be required to review and count the signatures in question, which could potentially lead to the measure being included on the ballot for the upcoming election. This ruling serves as a significant win for abortion-rights advocates in Arkansas and underscores the importance of protecting access to reproductive healthcare in the state.
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