Oklahoma Bill, Easing Definition of Political Party, is Signed Into Law

On May 3, Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin signed SB 350. It eases the definition of “political party”. The new law says it is a group that polled 2.5% for any statewide race, at either of the last two elections. The old law required a vote of 2.5% for Governor in midterm years, and 2.5% for President in presidential years.

Under the old law, almost every minor party in the United States would have gone off the Oklahoma ballot in presidential years. The only third parties that have polled as much as 2.5% for President in the nation in the last 90 years have been the American Party in 1968, the Reform Party in 1996, the Green Party in 2000, and the Libertarian Party in 2016.

Going off the ballot in Oklahoma is a special problem, because the petition requirement to get on the ballot (a petition of 3% of the last gubernatorial vote) is very severe. That petition cost the Libertarian Party $100,000 in 2015-2016. Thanks to E. Zachary Knight for the news.


Comments

Oklahoma Bill, Easing Definition of Political Party, is Signed Into Law — 5 Comments

  1. The Libertarians are the only non-Republican party running for Auditor & Inspector this year. So, barring a astoundingly bad result in that election, they’ll get 2.5% for that office and qualify for 2022 no matter the statewide results of 2020. Unless i’m misreading the law.

    There’s 9 statewide offices in Oklahoma up in midterm years, so a third party could keep themselves on the ballot as long as the Ds/Rs don’t run for every office. It’s a bit more favorable to be able to qualify with a Corporation Commissioner candidate running one-on-one than having to depend on getting 2.5% for Gov/Pres every time.

  2. The United Coalition protects every individual’s right to sefl proclaim any word(s) by their name so that when the voter walks into the voting booth they have some information about the person in addition to the name.

    Voting is random, no one can really know the candidates, because the info. put out by candidates can change during and after the election, depending on who is writing statements on behalf of the candidate.

    Forget about the concept of “educating people” before they vote. Just accept, voting is random, we best elect a big team because no one person controls the whole team.

    So by asking our friends to vote for opposite gender, with consecutively ranked alternating genders thereafter, we guarantee gender balance, fairness, team psychology with the gender for which we will never be able to be ourselves.

    By uniting with our opposite gender, we will bring the whole, 50/50.

  3. Every election continues to be NEW.

    Equal nominating petitions or filing fees for ALL candidates for the same office in the same election area in such NEW election.

    PR and AppV

  4. Yes, it is better to only get 25 lashes instead of 50. Why does 2.4% of vote for any office disqualify all candidates of a party? No “equal protection of the law” issue here? Congratulations for getting the jury to reduce the sentence on innocent voters and candidates. Yes, I am a hardliner on this issue.

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