Arkansas governor signs voter ID bill into law

LITTLE ROCK — Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Friday signed into law a bill to require voters to show photo identification at the polls.

The governor signed House Bill 1047 by Rep. Mark Lowery, R-Maumelle, one of two measures aimed at reinstating a voter ID law that was struck down by the Arkansas Supreme Court.

Under the new law, a voter who does not show photo ID at his or her polling place may cast a provisional ballot. The voter will be given the option of signing a sworn statement that the voter is who he or she claims to be, and if that option is chosen the county clerk will compare the signature to the signature on the voter registration card issued to that person to see if they match and the ballot should be counted.

Alternatively, a voter casting a provisional ballot may choose to show photo ID to the county clerk or county election board before noon on the Monday after the election to have the ballot counted.

Read more: http://www.swtimes.com/news/20170325/arkansas-governor-signs-voter-id-bill-into-law