EVERY TIME A FRAUDULENT VOTE IS CAST, IT EFFECTIVELY CANCELS OUT THE VOTE OF A LEGITIMATE VOTER!

As Republicans, we believe providing photo identification to vote protects the sanctity and security of the ballot box, and we support requiring proof of citizenship at the time of voter registration. We also strongly encourage all members of our party to participate in the election process through working at polling sites.

We support the efforts of county election commissioners to modernize voting equipment used in our elections in order to protect against voter fraud of any kind.

In order to guarantee that our state’s election laws are followed, we call for their vigorous enforcement as well as the aggressive prosecution of violations.

Majority Party

By the will of Arkansas’s citizens, the Republican Party of Arkansas is the majority party in our state and has therefore been given the responsibility to set policies that reflect this will.

In order to ensure the integrity of the preferential primary election process, Arkansas Republicans support closed primaries in our state.

We are opposed to any effort by special interests who would thwart the will of the people and steal away the mandate that Republican elected officials set fair and equitable legislative district lines in the next apportionment process.

Support Electoral College

We support the Electoral College process and oppose any effort to alter Arkansas’s role in electing the President of the United States.

Transparency

We firmly support transparency and openness at every level of government. Those elected, appointed, and employed in government work for the taxpayers of this state and must provide public information when requested, in line with Arkansas’s Freedom of Information Act.

We support requiring that notice of public meetings be given not only to the press but also directly to the people by posting notices on government websites and social media accounts and sending them by e-mail to interested parties.

We support continuing efforts to make clear to local governments that officials are not to conduct public business outside the parameters of duly noticed public meetings so that the public has the opportunity to see the entire decision-making process and to participate if they so choose.

Likewise, we support requiring electronic filing of fundraising and expenditure reports for state level elected officials, candidates for office, and political organizations. We support continued government investment in technology to allow efficient filing of reports so that the public may quickly and efficiently search and compile this information.

Free Speech

Arkansas Republicans believe the right of free speech includes the ability of our citizens to devote their resources to whatever cause or candidate they support. We are opposed to any restrictions that would discourage Arkansans from fully exercising their First Amendment rights or limit their commitment to their beliefs. We further oppose any state or federal efforts to impair Arkansans’ free speech rights guaranteed in the Constitution and upheld by the Supreme Court.

Fiscal Responsibility

State government must continue to live within its means, and we applaud the hard work of the legislative and executive branches to follow our state’s revenue stabilization law. We strongly believe Arkansans are best able to spend the money they earn and deserve to be free from the hassle of burdensome taxes and fees. We applaud the ongoing efforts of Arkansas’s Republican majority to lower taxes and govern efficiently.

Majority Rules

Arkansas Republicans continue to support the absence of death taxes in our state and strongly support the repeal of the federal death tax. We also support the elimination of the state tax on capital gains. We applaud income tax cuts made into law by Arkansas Republicans in recent years and strongly support the further expansion of income and other tax relief for all of our citizens.

In order to bolster the ability of Arkansas Republicans to carry out this charge from our citizens, we continue to support the rules governing both chambers of our legislature that reflect our party’s majorities in both chambers.

We believe that the Republican nominee for the Senate President Pro Tempore and Speaker of the House of Representatives must be selected by the majority of the Republican Caucus of its respective chamber and call on each Republican member of the General Assembly to support their chamber’s nominee.

We further support allowing each party’s legislative caucus determine among themselves which of them are to serve on legislative committees, as we believe the best legislators should serve on the committee that best suits their talents.

We believe in strong legislative oversight of state government spending and support continued openness and transparency in the spending of appropriated money. Arkansas Republicans recognize the importance of such funding for local projects but believe that all those seeking state funds for special projects should be subject to examination and oversight of the people’s elected representatives through the appropriations process.