Arkansas Supreme Court Asked to Disqualify Ballot Measure That Would Block Planned Casino

Legal Challenge to Ballot Measure

Opponents of a proposal aimed at blocking a planned casino in Arkansas have petitioned the state Supreme Court to disqualify the measure from the upcoming November ballot. Cherokee Nation Entertainment, awarded the license to build and operate the casino, filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutional amendment’s validity just a day after the secretary of state’s office confirmed it had qualified for the ballot.

Allegations of Violations

The lawsuit, supported by a newly formed affiliated group, accuses the campaign behind the ballot measure, funded by Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, of multiple legal violations regarding signature gathering. It also criticizes the wording of the ballot proposal as flawed and misleading.

“Arkansans must be made aware of this deliberate scheme to openly violate Arkansas laws regarding canvassing and to mislead and confuse voters,” stated Dover Mayor Roger Lee, an officer with the Arkansas Canvassing Compliance Committee, which has filed paperwork to campaign against the measure.

Campaign’s Defense

Local Voters in Charge, the group behind the ballot measure, criticized the lawsuit and expressed their commitment to fighting the legal challenge. Hans Stiritz, a spokesperson for the group, stated, “It’s disappointing, but not surprising, that Cherokee Nation Businesses has filed a lawsuit that seeks to silence the voices of 116,000 Arkansas voters who want something that could not be more reasonable: a statewide vote to give local voters the final say on whether a casino should be built in their community, or not.”

Specific Allegations

The lawsuit alleges that canvassers hired by the campaign were paid or awarded prizes based on the number of signatures obtained, which is a violation of state law. Additionally, it claims that canvassers made repeated false statements about the measure while gathering signatures and failed to register and certify paid canvassers.

Secretary of State’s Confirmation

Despite these allegations, Thurston’s office confirmed on Wednesday that Local Voters in Charge had submitted more than enough valid signatures from registered voters to place the measure on the ballot.

Proposed Amendment’s Impact

The proposed constitutional amendment seeks to revoke the license granted for a Pope County casino, which has been stalled by legal challenges for several years. Pope County is one of four sites where casinos were authorized to be built under a constitutional amendment approved by voters in 2018. Casinos have already been established in the other three locations.