The Arkansas House of Representatives [official website] approved a proposal [HB 1047 materials] on Tuesday that would reinstate a voter identification law that was struck down over two years ago. This bill, which was passed 74-21, is nearly identical to a law the republican majority legislature enacted in 2013 that required voters to show ID before voting. That law was unanimously struck down [JURIST report] by the state Supreme Court, which found that it was unconstitutional because it added a qualification to voting. However, Republican lawmakers are hopeful for a different outcome [AP report] this time with a new state Supreme Court roster. The proposal will also need to overcome another hurdle the court has previously mentioned, getting two-thirds of the vote in both chambers. The plan is now heading to the Senate [official website] for approval after receiving the necessary votes in the House.

The right to vote has become a contentious issue over the past year. In November the Supreme Court rejected [JURIST report] a vote counting appeal to block state election rules that they claimed could disqualify certain absentee ballots. In October a New York law prohibiting a person from showing the contents of her prepared voting ballot was challenged as unconstitutional [JURIST report] by state voters for violating their First Amendment rights. The complaint alleges that the law infringes on voters’ freedom of speech and freedom of expression under the US Constitution as well as the New York state Constitution. Also in October a federal court denied an emergency motion [JURIST report] from North Carolina counties to extend the hours of early voting. In September a district court judge granted [JURIST report] a motion blocking Illinois from allowing voter registration on election day in the state’s most populated counties.