On January 5, Oklahoma State Senator Randy Brogdon introduced SB 28, which lowers the number of signatures for a new party from 5% of the last vote cast, to 5,000 signatures. Between 1924 and 1975, Oklahoma had required 5,000 signatures to recognize a new party, and the state never had more than 4 parties on the ballot (including the Democratic and Republican Parties) in all those years.
SB 28 also lowers the vote test for a party to remain on the ballot from 10% for the top office (president/governor), to 1%. Finally, a group is free to pay $5,000 instead of collecting 5,000 signatures; it chooses whether to pay the money or to collect the signatures.
I salute Senator Brogdon for submitting this Bill and I wish him all the best.