Judge Declines Jurisdiction on Quorum Court Paper Ballot Repeal
Batesville, AR : February 18, 2026
In a hearing held today in Independence County, the presiding judge ruled that he does not have jurisdiction over the legal challenge to the Quorum Court’s repeal of the paper ballot ordinance.
Background
In 2024, citizens of Independence County successfully petitioned for and passed Ordinance 2024-18, the Hand Marked, Hand Counted Paper Ballot Ordinance. The ordinance was repealed by the Quorum Court in December 2025 via Ordinance 2025-27, passing on a 9-0 roll call vote.
County Attorney Daniel Haney cited a state supreme court ruling on petition filing dates as legal justification for the repeal, arguing that the original petition “was filed during a time frame that was constitutional at the time but has since been ruled unconstitutional.”
Today’s Ruling
The judge determined that the matter falls outside his court’s jurisdiction, effectively leaving the Quorum Court’s repeal in place at the county level for now.
Next Steps: Arkansas Supreme Court
With the lower court declining jurisdiction, the case is expected to move to the Arkansas Supreme Court. This elevates the paper ballot issue from a local dispute to a statewide constitutional question about citizen-initiated ordinances and the authority of quorum courts to repeal them.
Why This Matters
The citizens of Independence County exercised their lawful right to petition their government. The Quorum Court repealed that citizen-initiated ordinance. Now the courts have declined to intervene at the local level. The Arkansas Supreme Court will ultimately decide whether county governments can override the will of their own voters on election integrity measures.
Independence Watch will continue to track this case as it progresses. All related FOIA requests and documents are available on our FOIA Tracker.