LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — A recently filed bill seeks to allow all Arkansas voters over 65 to cast absentee ballots, marking a significant expansion of mail-in voting access to senior citizens.
Rep. David Whitaker, who represents a portion of Washington County, filed HB1064 on Dec. 11 to be discussed at the legislative session on Jan. 13, 2025.
Under current law, Arkansas voters can only vote absentee if they are unavoidably absent on Election Day, unable to reach the polls due to illness or disability, or prevented from voting due to religious observances. The proposed legislation hopes to amend this law to include any person who is over 65 on Election Day.
If passed, it would streamline the voting process for seniors by allowing their absentee ballot applications to remain valid for an entire calendar year. County clerks would also be required to automatically mail ballots to registered senior voters who have applied for absentee voting at least 25 days before each election.
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