LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — A federal judge has temporarily blocked what's being referred to as the "wet signature" rule.
The judge's decision came on Aug. 29, which would prevent Arkansas from implementing a rule that bars electronic signatures for state voter registration forms, except when at certain state agencies where those types of signatures are allowed.
This comes after a federal lawsuit was filed by Get Loud Arkansas (GLA), Vote.org, and two Arkansas voters in the Western District of Arkansas back in June challenging the state's "wet signature rule," which advocates claimed suppresses new voters.
Following the judge's decision, Vote.org CEO Andrea Hailey shared a statement calling the ruling a "win for democracy."
"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," CEO Hailey said.
The month prior to the lawsuit, state election commissioners ordered county clerks to reject digital signatures made on computers and tablets, requiring people registering to vote to do so by hand and ink–also called a "wet signature."
This was made possible through an emergency rule drafted by the Arkansas Board of Election Commissioners which made it mandatory for physical pen signatures to be completed on voter registration applications unless it's done at the DMV or other state agencies — state lawmakers approved the emergency rule in May.
GLA, a nonprofit organization that provides accessible means for Arkansans to register to vote, has been conducting voter registration drives and had to toss previous voter registration forms they had collected.
Officials with both the state election commission and the attorneys representing Secretary of State John Thurston declined to comment on pending litigation while awaiting a formal written order from Federal District Judge Timothy Brooks.
