The Arkansas Secretary of State has approved a petition by the Libertarian Party in which the party seeks official recognition.
The secretary of state's office said Tuesday that the petition submitted June 2 contains 11,918 valid signatures of registered voters with 10,000 valid voter signatures needed for approval.
The party must now submit an affidavit signed by party officers under oath as required by state law. The affidavit states that the party does not directly or indirectly carry on, advocate, teach, justify, aid, or abet an act of terrorism, a program of sabotage, force, and violence, sedition, treason against or the overthrow of the government.
When certified, the Libertarian Party of Arkansas may field candidates in any upcoming partisan elections through and including the next general election in 2016.