LITTLE ROCK – Attorney General Tim Griffin issued the following statement announcing the arrest of Deborah Smith, 57, of North Little Rock on an election-integrity charge:
“Investigators in my Election Integrity Unit, along with Prosecuting Attorney for the Sixth Judicial District Will Jones, received a referral from the State Board of Election Commissioners at the end of March, asking us to investigate the matter of 132 voter registrations having been switched from North Little Rock to Maumelle ahead of the 2024 general election. Today, Deborah Smith, a former employee of the Pulaski County Clerk’s Office, surrendered herself to the court after my investigators had obtained a warrant for her arrest.
“We determined during our investigation that Smith deliberately switched the voter registrations while employed at the clerk’s office. She is charged with one count of violation of voter eligibility, a Class D felony.
“Smith resigned from the clerk’s office when her actions were discovered, spurring an internal investigation at the clerk’s office. After being processed at the Pulaski County Detention Center today, she was released on her own recognizance. While I am pleased that we were able to make an arrest, our investigation continues.
“Preserving the integrity of our elections is foundational to maintaining our democracy. Instances like this in Arkansas are rare, but to keep them from becoming more frequent, the response of justice must be swift and decisive. I am grateful for the excellent work of my Election Integrity Unit and for the support of the State Board of Election Commissioners and Prosecutor Will Jones.”
