The Senate has rejected an effort to change the way signatures are verified during attempts to place measures on the Arkansas ballot.
By an 11-13 vote, the Senate defeated a proposal that would have appeared as a suggested constitutional amendment on next year's ballot.
The proposal would have required that at least 90 percent of the signatures submitted by ballot measure campaigns to be valid in order to have more time to circulate petitions.
Supporters said the change was needed after a high number of invalid signatures were submitted for some measures last year.
Opponents, including the American Civil Liberties Union and the Family Council, said the move would have made it nearly impossible for citizens to place items on the ballot.