Vote.Org: Court Ruling To Block Arkansas’ Wet Signature Requirement A Major Win For Voters, Democracy

INDIANAPOLIS– Today Vote.org, the largest nonpartisan voter registration and get-out-the-vote platform in America, praised a decision by a federal judge in Arkansas to preliminarily block enforcement of a state rule requiring handwritten signatures on voter registrations forms and directing Arkansas counties to reject forms submitted with electronic signatures. This ruling means voters in Arkansas can sign their voter registration forms digitally or electronically without it being rejected by their local county clerks.

Vote.org, alongside Get Loud Arkansas and two Arkansas voters, filed a federal lawsuit in the Western District of Arkansas in June challenging the state’s “wet signature” requirement, arguing that it creates unlawful barriers to the ballot box that could deny eligible citizens the right to vote. The court yesterday determined that the plaintiffs were likely to succeed on their claim that the wet signature requirement violates a key provision of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and preliminarily enjoined state defendants from enforcing it.

“Arkansas’ shameful wet signature requirement was designed with a singular purpose: to make it harder for eligible citizens to vote by undermining the secure, convenient voter registration tools that so many voters in Arkansas – and across the nation – rely upon to make their voice heard,” said Andrea Hailey, CEO of Vote.org. "The court’s decision to grant a preliminary injunction is a major win for Arkansas voters and for our democracy, and a reminder that voter suppression is not only antithetical to American values, but an assault on the rule of law. Vote.org is committed to ensuring every voter can participate in our elections without undue barriers – the right to vote is sacred in this country, and we will keep fighting to protect it every day.”

Vote.org has helped register tens of thousands of Arkansas voters over the past several years through user-friendly online voter registration tools. Arkansas’ wet signature requirement follows a wave of harmful anti-voter laws and policies enacted since the 2020 election that make it harder to register and vote. Policies cracking down on the validity of electronic signatures impact underserved communities in particular; only one in five SNAP recipients, for example, have access to a printer.

Vote.org is leading similar lawsuits in Georgia, Florida, and Texas to strike down new wet signature laws and policies. In tandem with these legal challenges, the organization is planning an expanded Print & Mail Program so that voters can have a registration form mailed to them with a stamp (where permitted) and envelope to mail to election officials.

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ABOUT VOTE.ORG

Vote.org is a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan nonprofit using technology to simplify political engagement and increase turnout among young people and voters of color. It is the largest 501(c)(3) nonprofit, nonpartisan voting registration and get-out-the-vote (GOTV) technology platform in America. Through corporate and nonprofit partnerships, a large-scale community of grassroots donors, diverse coalition building and influencer-driven outreach, Vote.org leverages innovative solutions that meet underserved voters where they engage and get their information, and has established its brand as the most trusted and accessible online resource for registering to vote and understanding how to cast a ballot.