SB 578 Arkansas Senate · 2025 Regular Session

TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING EARLY VOTING; AND TO ALLOW A COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTION COMMISSIONERS TO CLOSE CERTAIN EARLY VOTING LOCATIONS DURING INCLEMENT WEATHER.

SB 578, now Act 766, amends Arkansas law concerning early voting. It permits a county's Board of Election Commissioners to close certain early voting locations for one or more days due to inclement weather. This decision requires a unanimous vote by the board during an emergency meeting. However, the bill mandates that at least one early voting location in the county seat must remain open every day designated for early voting, even during severe weather.
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Mar 2025
Committee Review
Apr 2025
Senate Passage
Apr 2025
House Passage
Apr 2025
Signed into Law
Apr 2025
Introduced Mar 31, 2025 Signed Apr 18, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Act 766 SB 578 · 2 edits
MINOR
The bill text shows minor formatting and layout adjustments rather than substantive policy changes. The most notable change is the removal of the approval date (4/17/25) from the document, which appears to be a technical correction. The document header and footer formatting were also adjusted slightly.
TECHNICAL

Removed the approval date 'APPROVED: 4/17/25' from line 4, which appears to be a technical formatting adjustment rather than a substantive policy change.

Adjusted spacing and formatting in the header section, particularly around the bill number and date information.

Floor votes

How they voted

This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
15
Key actions
7
Committee
2
Apr 18, 2025
Signed into law
Notification that SB578 is now Act 766
upper
Apr 15, 2025
Upper · Passed
Returned from the House as passed.
upper
Apr 14, 2025
Lower · Passed
Returned to the Senate as passed.
lower
Apr 14, 2025
Lower · Passed
Read the third time and passed and ordered transmitted to the Senate.
lower
Apr 9, 2025
Lower · Passed
Returned by the Committee Do Pass
lower
Apr 7, 2025
Upper · Passed
Read the third time and passed.
upper
Apr 3, 2025
Upper · Passed
Returned by the Committee, with the recommendation that it Do Pass
upper
Mar 31, 2025
Introduced
Filed
upper
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Bart Hester
Bart Hester
RRepublican
AR
33