Oklahoma bills must pass out of both houses of the legislature by the end of the day, April 23, if they are to have a chance of being enacted. Bills that have passed both houses by that date need not be identical in both houses; there is still time after April 23 for conference committees and additional votes. The ballot access reform bill, HB 1072, will receive a vote in the Senate on or before April 23. If it passes in the Senate, then it will go to a conference committee. As amended by the Senate Committee, it lowers the number of signatures for a previously unqualified party from 5% of the last vote cast, to 3% of the last gubernatorial vote cast. Even if it passes, Oklahoma will still have the nation’s most difficult mandatory petition requirement for ballot access for parties. Although Maine, Minnesota, Rhode Island, and California have petitions higher than 3% of the last midterm vote cast, the Maine, Minnesota, Rhode Island and California petition procedures are alternative methods for qualifying a new party, not mandatory procedures.