Arkansas Congressional District Maps Referendum (2022)

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Arkansas Congressional District Maps Referendum
Flag of Arkansas.png
Election date
November 8, 2022
Topic
Redistricting measures
Status
Not on the ballot
Type
Referendum		Origin
Citizens

The Arkansas Congressional District Maps Referendums (targeting House Bill 1982 and Senate Bill 743) was not on the ballot in Arkansas as a veto referendum on November 8, 2022.

Referendum petitions

The veto referendums would have upheld or repealed House Bill 1982 and Senate Bill 743 of 2021, which were designed to create new congressional districts for Arkansas following the 2020 census. Arkansans for a Unified Natural State (AFUNS) sponsored the two veto referendums. One targeted House Bill 1982 and the other targeted Senate Bill 743. AFUNS said, "We have two because both the State Senate and the State House passed two identical bills that both became law. Normally, they are consolidated into one bill. But, they refused to do that this time for some reason."[1]

Map images

Text of measure

Popular name

  • The popular name for the referendum targeting House Bill 1982 was as follows:[1]
“ AN ACT (ACT 1114 / HOUSE BILL 1982) REDRAWING THE FOUR (4) CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS TO DIVIDE PULASKI & SEBASTIAN COUNTIES[2] ”


  • The popular name for the referendum targeting Senate Bill 743 was as follows:[1]
“ AN ACT (ACT 1116 / SENATE BILL 743) REDRAWING THE FOUR (4) CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS TO DIVIDE PULASKI & SEBASTIAN COUNTIES[2] ”

Ballot title

  • The ballot title for the referendum targeting House Bill 1982 was as follows:[1]
“ AN ACT REDRAWING ARKANSAS’ FOUR (4) CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS AFTER THE 2020 CENSUS, INCLUDING DIVIDING PULASKI COUNTY BETWEEN THE 1st, 2nd & 4th CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS, DIVIDING SEBASTIAN COUNTY BETWEEN THE 3rd & 4th CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS, AND VARIOUS OTHER CHANGES; BEING ACT 1114 OF 2021 (HOUSE BILL 1982).

A "FOR" VOTE IS A VOTE IN FAVOR OF ACT 1114 AND WILL ALLOW THESE DISTRICTS TO GO INTO EFFECT FOR THE 2024 ELECTION CYCLE (UNLESS REPEALED, SUPERSEDED, FOUND ILLEGAL BY A COURT OF LAW, OR OTHERWISE MODIFIED).

AN "AGAINST" VOTE IS A VOTE TO REJECT ACT 1114. IF THIS HAS NOT BEEN DONE ALREADY, THE LEGISLATURE WILL HAVE TO DRAW UP NEW CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS FOR THE 2024 ELECTION CYCLE WHICH COMPLY WITH FEDERAL LAW AND JUDICIAL PRECEDENT.[2]

”
  • The ballot title for the referendum targeting Senate Bill 743 was as follows:[1]
“ AN ACT REDRAWING ARKANSAS’ FOUR (4) CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS AFTER THE 2020 CENSUS, INCLUDING DIVIDING PULASKI COUNTY BETWEEN THE 1st, 2nd & 4th CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS, DIVIDING SEBASTIAN COUNTY BETWEEN THE 3rd & 4th CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS, AND VARIOUS OTHER CHANGES; BEING ACT 1116 OF 2021 (SENATE BILL 743).

A "FOR" VOTE IS A VOTE IN FAVOR OF ACT 1116 AND WILL ALLOW THESE DISTRICTS TO GO INTO EFFECT FOR THE 2024 ELECTION CYCLE (UNLESS REPEALED, SUPERSEDED, FOUND ILLEGAL BY A COURT OF LAW, OR OTHERWISE MODIFIED).

AN "AGAINST" VOTE IS A VOTE TO REJECT ACT 1116. IF THIS HAS NOT BEEN DONE ALREADY, THE LEGISLATURE WILL HAVE TO DRAW UP NEW CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS FOR THE 2024 ELECTION CYCLE WHICH COMPLY WITH FEDERAL LAW AND JUDICIAL PRECEDENT.[2]

”

Full text

  • The full text of the referendum petition targeting House Bill 1982 is available here.
  • The full text of the referendum petition targeting Senate Bill 743 is available here.

Background

Redistricting in Arkansas following the 2020 census

See also: Redistricting in Arkansas after the 2020 census

Redistricting is the process of enacting new district boundaries for elected offices, particularly for offices in the U.S. House of Representatives and state legislatures.

Arkansas' four United States representatives and 135 state legislators are all elected from political divisions called districts. District lines are redrawn every 10 years following completion of the United States census. Federal law stipulates that districts must have nearly equal populations and must not discriminate on the basis of race or ethnicity.

Apportionment and release of census data

Apportionment is the process by which representation in a legislative body is distributed among its constituents. The number of seats in the United States House of Representatives is fixed at 435. The United States Constitution dictates that districts be redrawn every 10 years to ensure equal populations between districts. Every ten years, upon completion of the United States census, reapportionment occurs.[3]

Apportionment following the 2020 census

The U.S. Census Bureau delivered apportionment counts on April 26, 2021. Arkansas was apportioned four seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. This represented neither a gain nor a loss of seats as compared to apportionment after the 2010 census.[4]

See the table below for additional details.

2020 and 2010 census information for Arkansas
State 2010 census 2020 census 2010-2020
Population U.S. House seats Population U.S. House seats Raw change in population Percentage change in population Change in U.S. House seats
Arkansas 2,926,229 4 3,013,756 4 87,527 2.99% 0


Redistricting data from the Census Bureau

On February 12, 2021, the Census Bureau announced that it would deliver redistricting data to the states by September 30, 2021. On March 15, 2021, the Census Bureau released a statement indicating it would make redistricting data available to the states in a legacy format in mid-to-late August 2021. A legacy format presents the data in raw form, without data tables and other access tools. On May 25, 2021, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost (R) announced that the state had reached a settlement agreement with the Census Bureau in its lawsuit over the Census Bureau's timetable for delivering redistricting data. Under the terms of the settlement, the Census Bureau agreed to deliver redistricting data, in a legacy format, by August 16, 2021.[5][6][7][8] The Census Bureau released the 2020 redistricting data in a legacy format on August 12, 2021, and in an easier-to-use format at data.census.gov on September 16, 2021.[9][10]

Veto referendums in Arkansas

See also: List of Arkansas ballot measures and List of veto referendum ballot measures

In Arkansas, bills passed by the state legislature can be put before voters through a veto referendum petition.

  • Signature requirement: 6 percent of the votes last cast for governor
  • Result of a yes vote: targeted law upheld
  • Result of a no vote: targeted law repealed
  • Successful veto referendum petitions suspend the targeted law until the election.
Year State Subject Measure Outcome
for target law
2004 Arkansas Taxes Referred Question 1: Increase State Property Tax for School Funding Repealed
1994 Arkansas Taxes Referred Act 1: Tax on Soft Drinks Repealed
1968 Arkansas Elections Referred Act 457: Require Voters to Declare Party Affiliation Repealed
1968 Arkansas Administration Referred Act 306: Creation of State Dairy Commission Repealed
1962 Arkansas Administration Referred Act 199: Creation of Motor Vehicle Commission Repealed
1958 Arkansas Taxes Referred Act 19: Eliminate Additional One Percent Sales Tax Upheld
1954 Arkansas Taxes Referred Act 285: Tax Increase on Alcohol Repealed
1952 Arkansas Government Referred Act 242: State Government Purchasing Methods Repealed
1934 Arkansas Taxes Referred Act 280: Extend Time to Redeem Delinquent Property Taxes Repealed
1934 Arkansas Education Referred Act 78: Appointed State Board of Education Repealed

Path to the ballot

See also: Laws governing the initiative process in Arkansas

The state process

Signatures for veto referendums must be submitted 90 days after the final adjournment of the 2024 state legislative session. If the secretary of state certifies that enough signatures were submitted in a petition, the initiative is put on the ballot. If a petition fails to meet the signature requirement, but the petition has at least 75 percent of the valid signatures needed, petitioners have 30 days to collect additional signatures or demonstrate that rejected signatures are valid.

Details about this initiative

Bills

On October 7, the Arkansas House of Representatives and State Senate approved the following two proposed congressional district maps (House Bill 1982 and Senate Bill 743) and sent them to the governor for approval.

Approved Arkansas congressional district plans, 2020 cycle
Lead sponsor Party Proposal View map House vote Senate vote
Rep. Nelda Speaks Ends.png Republican House Bill 1982 Link 59-30 21-12
Sen. Jane English Ends.png Republican Senate Bill 743 N/A 53-35 22-10


On October 13, Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) announced that he would neither sign nor veto the two proposals, meaning the district lines would go into effect in 90 days.[12]

Referendum petitions

Arkansans for a Unified Natural State (AFUNS) sponsored the two veto referendums. They were approved for circulation by the Secretary of State on October 14, 2021. One targets House Bill 1982 and the other targets Senate Bill 743. AFUNS said, "We have two because both the State Senate and the State House passed two identical bills that both became law. Normally, they are consolidated into one bill. But, they refused to do that this time for some reason." To qualify for the ballot, 53,491 valid signatures were required for each measure.[1] AFUNS told Ballotpedia on January 14, 2021, that they were not able to collect the number of signatures necessary to qualify for the ballot.[13]

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Arkansans for a Unified Natural State, "Referendum information," accessed July 21, 2021
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  3. ↑ United States Census Bureau, "Apportionment," accessed July 11, 2018
  4. ↑ United States Census Bureau, "2020 Census Apportionment Results Delivered to the President," April 26, 2021
  5. ↑ United States Census Bureau, "2020 Census Operational Plan: Executive Summary," December 2015
  6. ↑ United States Census Bureau, "Census Bureau Statement on Redistricting Data Timeline," February 12, 2021
  7. ↑ Office of the Attorney General of Ohio, "AG Yost Secures Victory for Ohioans in Settlement with Census Bureau Data Lawsuit," May 25, 2021
  8. ↑ U.S. Census Bureau, "U.S. Census Bureau Statement on Release of Legacy Format Summary Redistricting Data File," March 15, 2021
  9. ↑ U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census P.L. 94-171 Redistricting Data," accessed August 12, 2021
  10. ↑ United States Census Bureau, "Census Bureau Delivers 2020 Census Redistricting Data in Easier-to-Use Format," September 16, 2021
  11. ↑ Ballotpedia Staff, communication with referendum sponsors, October 20, 2021
  12. ↑ 5 News, "Arkansas congressional redistricting bills to go into law without governor's signature," Oct. 13, 2021
  13. ↑ Ballotpedia Staff, phone communication with AFUNS, January 14, 2022
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