As supporters of reproductive rights were racing the clock to collect the signatures needed to put abortion access on the November ballot, someone sent out a fake email aimed at tricking volunteers to put down their clipboards.
The email from “abortionamendmentvictory@gmail.com” purports to be from organizers of the drive to collect the 90,704 signatures needed to put the Arkansas Abortion Amendment to voters.
The email tells canvassers that the required signatures are all in hand, no need to collect anymore.
Arkansans for Limited Government, the group behind the Arkansas Abortion Amendment push, were quick to send out word that the email was a fake, and to keep working.
Arkansans for Limited Government spokeswoman Rebecca Bobrow said eyes remain on the signature-gathering prize for now, but that the truth will out.
“We’re aware of an email that reached many of our supporters from a sender pretending to be us and discouraging people from signing the petition today. Our campaign is working to get to the bottom of it, but we strongly suspect it came from the opposition.
This is not only an ugly tactic aimed at hampering our people-powered movement, but also a serious crime that we will treat as such.
Once again, the opposition has proven that they know they can’t win without employing lies and fraud. The people of Arkansas are on the right side of this issue and all this silly little email has succeeded in doing is energizing us for these final hours.”
Rebecca Bobrow, spokeswoman for Arkansans for Limited Government
The fake email came from a “Cain Letter,” and went out to signature-gathering volunteers across the state:
The volunteer squadron pushing back on Arkansas’s punishing near-total abortion ban has been slinging signatures at impressive rates this week. On Monday, the group estimated they were 10,000 signatures short. By Wednesday, they estimated they needed 5,800 more.
Volunteers have until 5 p.m. Friday to sign Arkansas registered voters on to their efforts. And they were hard at it at the Arkansas Capitol on July 4, where a fully manned row of volunteers under tent canopies was doing good business. A steady stream of signers was moving through midday, despite temperatures near 100.
The Arkansas Abortion Amendment would restore abortion access up to 18 weeks after conception, and in cases of rape, incest, fatal fetal anomaly and to save the health of the mother. Current state law that kicked in with the 2022 fall of Roe v. Wade bans all abortions except to save a woman’s life. Opponents of the ban say it creates needless suffering, puts women’s health in danger and infringes on families’ private medical decisions.
Abortion protestors came out Thursday, too. Dale Flamand of Little Rock paced slowly back and forth on the sidewalk in front of the tents with a “Decline to Sign” poster tied around his neck.
“Life is such a precious gift. We just can’t throw it away,” he said. Flamand said this is his third time trying to convince people not to sign on for the Arkansas Abortion Amendment.
Others there to oppose abortion rights did not adopt Flamand’s quiet, non-confrontational style. Crystal Hilborn briefly used a handheld megaphone to blast her pro-life message. She also prayed loudly and spoke in tongues. Hilborn said she had three abortions in her 20s, and that she regrets them.
In addition to the Arkansas Abortion Amendment, Capitol canvassers were filling up petitions for the Arkansas Educational Rights Amendment, the Arkansas Government Openness Amendment and a ballot initiative to exempt diapers and feminine hygiene products from state sales taxes.
The group behind efforts to expand access to medical marijuana reportedly already had the necessary signatures in hand by Thursday, and weren’t out in the heat looking for more.
The organizer behind an effort to change rules for who can get antique car tags had thrown in the towel already, but the groups aiming to limit absentee voting and oppose a casino in Pope County were still in the running.