LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – CAPES announced Tuesday they believe they submitted enough signatures to the Secretary of State’s office to qualify for a cure period which would extend the time CAPES has to collect signatures by 30 days.

CAPES chair Veronica McClane said a lot could be accomplished with extra time.

“If we get the cure period, the amount of messages that we’ve got, the people that are begging to still be able to sign, I have no doubt in my mind that we will fully cross that threshold and even more,” McClane said.

They say they’re closer to completing the criteria of Act 236 which says they need signatures from 3% of the people who voted in the last governor’s election in 50 of the state’s 75 counties.

Trevor McGarrah crunched numbers as a CAPES volunteer.

“In Hempstead County, the 3 percent mark would’ve required 141 signatures, and we have it down in our spreadsheet as 135 that we’ve collected, so we’re missing 6 there, in Izard County there was 138, that was listed as the 3 percent and we show it as 131 signatures,” McGarrah said.

While CAPES believes they should be operating using the 3% of 15 counties rule, the Secretary of State’s office said they will be counting signatures under Act 236. CAPES said they believe they’re 13 signatures short from completing the criteria of Act 236.

“This is a fight for democracy in our state, with the new requirements, 3% with the 50 county rule, with 3% changing it from15 counties, it is making it so much more difficult for the people in the state of Arkansas to have a voice,” McGarrah said.

CAPES said there are more than two counties they’re just short in, Hempstead and Izard were just the closest two counties. However, they say it’s in the hands of the Secretary of State now.

“We’re just working hard on what’s next and waiting for that initial count and hoping that we can feel get out number because we just don’t know, that’s the hardest part,” McClane said.

There is a lawsuit regarding Act 236 and if it was passed constitutionally. The Secretary of State is pending the official number.