League of Women Voters set to launch direct democracy ballot measure effort in Little Rock

The League of Women Voters of Pulaski County will launch its effort to collect signatures for a proposed 2026 direct democracy ballot measure later this month, the group announced in a news release.

The League’s ballot question committee, Save AR Democracy, will host a launch party for its petition drive from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Aug. 26 at Southern Tail Brewing in Little Rock, according to the release.

Direct democracy is the process by which Arkansans can propose new laws or constitutional amendments and place them on the ballot for a statewide vote. Arkansas is one of 24 states that allow citizen-led initiatives, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

In May, Attorney General Tim Griffin certified the ballot title for the League’s proposed constitutional amendment. The measure would prohibit state lawmakers from changing the Arkansas Constitution themselves and require that any new law affecting the initiative and referendum process must be approved by voters at the next general election.

Additionally, the amendment would permit only voters, not state lawmakers, to propose changes to Article 5, Section 1 of the state Constitution, the section that outlines the initiative and referendum process.

The Legislature would determine the name and title of referendums, and votes on a bill with an emergency clause (a provision that allows laws to become effective immediately) would have to occur at least 24 hours after the bill passes.

Griffin rejected the proposed amendment three times before certifying it. In his third rejection, he cited a new state law that prohibits ballot titles from being written above an eighth-grade reading level as his reason for denying certification. This was one of several policies related to direct democracy that drew public opposition during the 2025 legislative session before becoming law.

The League of Women Voters of Arkansas filed a federal lawsuit in April alleging that eight such laws are unconstitutional. In July, a judge granted two ballot question committees, Protect AR Rights and For AR Kids, permission to intervene in the case.  

Judge allows groups to intervene in lawsuit challenging Arkansas direct democracy laws

The committees sought to challenge additional laws not included in the original suit, including Act 602 of 2025, the law that prohibits initiative petitions from being written above an eighth-grade reading level according to the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level formula.

Protect AR Rights is a coalition of civic groups behind the Arkansas Ballot Measure Rights Amendment, which Griffin certified in July after previously rejecting it under Act 602. The group also filed its own complaint in the lawsuit against the slate of direct democracy laws, many of which put additional requirements on petition canvassers and signers.

Supporters of the new laws have said the requirements will help protect the integrity of the state’s initiative and referendum process.

Proposed constitutional amendments require 90,704 signatures from 50 counties to qualify for the ballot.