The Arkansas Democrat Gazette, the largest daily newspaper in Arkansas, has this editorial, urging the legislature not to pass SB 163. This is the bill that raises the number of signatures for a newly-qualifying party from 10,000 signatures, to 3% of the last gubernatorial vote, which would be 26,746.
The editorial does not mention that if the bill becomes law, Arkansas would have the nation’s most severe petition for new parties, if the easier requirement for new parties in each state is compared (some states have more than one method to allow a new party to appear on the ballot with the party label). Although two other states also have a 3% (of the last gubernatorial vote) petition, they have much longer circulation times. Alabama lets the petition take as long as the group needs, and Oklahoma allows one year. Arkansas requires the petition to be completed in three months. Furthermore, the Arkansas petition deadline is January 2.
Also, the editorial does not mention that the law that was in effect in 1996, which was also 3% of the last gubernatorial vote, was declared unconstitutional in Citizens to Establish a Reform Party in Arkansas, and was declared unconstitutional again in 2006 in Green Party of Arkansas v Daniel. The citations are 970 F Supp 690 (e.d. 1996) and 445 F Supp 2d 1056 (e.d. 2006).
