The future of a ballot initiative to restore abortion rights in Arkansas could come down to just who counts as a “sponsor” signing a piece of compliance paperwork about paid canvassers. But court filings last week suggest that Secretary of State John Thurston is applying the rules on that issue in very different and contradictory ways, preemptively striking down the abortion petition, while allowing the very same issue to slide for petitions regarding a casino license and medical marijuana, both of which also used paid canvassers.
They saw how energized voters in Kansas got when given the opportunity. They’re scared of their own electorate.