Oklahoma signature requirements
From Ballotpedia
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Signature requirements in Oklahoma are calculated as a percentage of the total number of votes cast in the state's most recent general election for whichever statewide office (including president) received the highest number of votes in that election.
Because of this method of calculation, the number of required signatures can change fairly dramatically from year-to-year, going down after an election year in which there is no presidential contest, and going back up after an election year in which there was a presidential contest.
For example, in 2008, Oklahoma voters cast 1,462,661 votes for the office of president, whereas in 2006, voters cast 926,480 votes for governor. As a result, to put a constitutional amendment on the 2010 ballot requires 219,400 signatures, whereas to put an amendment on the 2008 ballot would have required 138,970 signatures, a difference of more than 80,000 signatures.
| Year | Amendment | Statute | Veto referendum |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 219,400 | 117,013 | 73,134 |
| 2008 | 138,970 | 74,117 | 46,324 |
| 1994 | 208,554 | 111,229 | - |
| 1992 | 175,656 | 93,683 | - |
| 1990 | 175,656 | - | - |
| 1989 | 136,489 | - | - |
Basis for calculation
- Signatures for a constitutional amendment in Oklahoma must equal 15% of the votes cast in the last general election for the office receiving the highest number of votes.
- An initiated state statute must obtain signatures equal to 8% of votes cast in last general election for the office receiving the highest number of votes.
- A veto referendum requires 5% of the votes cast in the last election for the office receiving the highest number of votes.
- The highest number of votes cast in the most recent general election (2008) were the votes cast for Presidential Elector; this number came to 1,462,661. This has led to a significant increase over the number of signatures required for a 2008 ballot initiative since the relevant number going into 2008 was based on the number of votes cast for Governor in 2006, which was 926,462 votes.
- Previously rejected initiative or referendum measures require 25% of the vote in signatures. Currently, this number is 365,666.
Signature filing deadline
- Signatures for a citizen initiative, whether it is a initiated state statute or a initiated constitutional amendment, must be filed within 90 days of the time that the initiative proponent filed the petition with the Oklahoma Secretary of State.
- Signatures for a veto referendum must be filed within 90 days of the adjournment of the legislative session of the Oklahoma State Legislature that enacted the disputed measure.
- However, the absolute latest deadline for submitting signatures -- regardless of when the proponent started to collect them -- is 60 days prior to the election or early September.
Proposed reforms
- Main article: Changes in 2009 to laws governing the initiative process
- Oklahoma Senate Joint Resolution 13, 2009 may go to a vote of the people on the 2010 ballot. The amendment will tie the number of required signatures to the vote for governor, instead of for president in presidential election years.
- Oklahoma Senate Bill 852, 2009 makes several changes including extending the circulation period from 90 days to one year.
SJR 13 and SB 852 are both sponsored by Randy Brogdon.
See also
External links
- Signature requirements from the Oklahoma Secretary of State
- NCSL signature chart for 2008
- Oklahoma signature requirements collated by the Citizens in Charge Foundation
