Arkansas House committee approves bill that would shorten early voting by one day

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — A bill proposing to cut early voting by one day passed out of a House committee Monday after failing earlier in the day.

If SB485 passes and is signed by Governor Asa Hutchinson, the proposal would have changed the end of early voting from 5 p.m. on Monday to the Saturday at 4 p.m. before the election.

The Senate on Thursday approved legislation that would eliminate early voting on the day before primaries and general elections. The measure moved on to the House.

Republican Sen. Kim Hammer, the bill’s sponsor, argued the change was needed to give election officials a pause between early voting and Election Day.

But opponents said it would remove an opportunity to vote for people who can’t make it to the polls at other times.