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Arkansas Governor Candidates React To Voter ID Ruling

A week of debates hosted by AETN continued Thursday with Arkansas’s gubernatorial candidates. Wednesday’s Arkansas Supreme Court decision, striking down the voter ID law, was addressed by Democrat Mike Ross, Republican Asa Hutchinson, Libertarian Frank Gilbert, and Green Joshua Drake. Ross said he thought the ID requirement was unconstitutional and invoked Governor Mike Beebe.

“Absentee ballots were thrown out during the primary, including those of World War II veterans. If you think about those who vote absentee typically it is people who are homebound, they no longer have a driver’s license because they can no longer drive a car. Most of them don’t have a copy machine in their house so they can make a copy,” said Ross.

The Green Party’s nominee Joshua Drake agreed and criticized Hutchinson for being the sole candidate disappointed by the court’s decision.

“It was unanimous that this law was unconstitutional. Yet one of my opponents Mr. Hutchinson even yesterday is saying, ‘wow I can’t believe they decided that way.’ Well, that’s part of the war on the working people of Arkansas that’s going on. It’s the Republicans in the state against people they don’t agree with,” said Drake.

Hutchinson took issue with Drake’s characterization and said another form of the voter ID law could still be passed by the legislature.

“We want to make it as easy as possible for everyone but the simple requirement to verify who you are when you go to the voting booth is not an unreasonable burden. So while the Supreme Court has ruled and we accept that, the Arkansas Supreme Court, I think the legislature eventually will look at it again and determine whether additional action needs to be taken down the road,” said Hutchinson.

Libertarian Frank Gilbert said voter fraud does happen, but the problem isn’t about individuals trying to fake their identities to cast a ballot.

“If we need additional legislation, and I think we do, then let’s aim it at the right folks. Let’s make it harder for the Sheriff of a poll or the Sheriff of a county to steal an election,” said Gilbert.

Democratic Governor Mike Beebe is term-limited.

Jacob Kauffman is a former news anchor and reporter for KUAR.
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