Appeals court issues administrative stay in Arkansas 'wet signature' lawsuit

Arkansas officials can again implement a new “wet signature” rule that limits the use of electronic signatures on voter registration forms after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit granted a temporary administrative stay Friday evening.

State lawmakers in May approved an emergency rule drafted by the Arkansas Board of Election Commissioners that requires a “wet signature,” meaning signing with a pen, on voter registration applications unless they’re completed at state agencies, like the DMV.

In June, voter advocacy group Get Loud Arkansas challenged the rule with a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas against Secretary of State John Thurston, the Arkansas State Board of Election Commissioners and the county clerks of Benton, Pulaski and Washington counties.

Additional plaintiffs include Vote.Org, a national voter registration-focused nonprofit, and two Arkansans who had their voter registration applications rejected because they had an electronic signature — Nikki Pastor and Trinity “Blake” Loper.


https://arkansasadvocate.com/2024/09/15/appeals-court-issues-administrative-stay-in-arkansas-wet-signature-lawsuit/