The Arkansas Supreme Court issued an order on Tuesday night directing the state to begin counting signatures collected by volunteers in support of placing an abortion-rights measure on the ballot. The court's decision, made by the majority-conservative justices, introduced a level of uncertainty regarding the fate of the proposed ballot initiative.
The court's one-page order did not definitively address the lawsuit challenging the state's rejection of petitions for the measure but mandated an initial count of signatures from volunteers by 9 a.m. on Monday.
