Arkansas governor signs bill reinstating voter ID law

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Arkansas’ governor signed a measure Friday requiring voters to show photo identification before casting a ballot, reinstating a voter ID law that was struck down by the state’s highest court more than two years ago.

The bill signed by Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson closely mirrors the law enacted by the Legislature in 2013 that was found unconstitutional by the state Supreme Court the following year. The latest law is aimed at addressing the argument by some justices that the 2013 law didn’t receive enough votes in the Legislature to be enacted.

Unlike that measure, the latest version of the requirement allows voters without a photo ID to cast a provisional ballot if they sign a sworn statement confirming their identity.