On May 5, the Oklahoma legislature passed SJR 13. It lowers the number of signatures for initiatives, in years immediately after presidential elections. The old law says a statutory initiative needs signatures of 8% of the last vote cast. SJR 13 changes this to 8% of the last gubernatorial vote. Because so many more voters vote in presidential years than in midterm years, this has the effect of lowering the number of signatures by 30%, for initiatives meant for the midterm election. It has no effect on initiatives that try to get on the ballot in presidential years.
SJR 13 changes the Constitution, so it won’t go into effect unless the voters approve it in 2010. Thanks to Richard Prawdzienski for this news.
So if this bill passes, we will likely end up seeing all of – or almost all of – the petitioning for initiatives in Oklahoma try to get on during the midterm elections since the signature requirement is easier by 30%.
No. The petition requirement will be the same all the time. There will probably be 50% of the initiatives getting on in presidential years, and 50% in midterm years, since it won’t matter which type of year it is anymore; the requirements will be the same.
By contrast, in the past, everyone tried to qualify initiatives for presidential years, since it was so much easier than in midterm years.
This is a step forward but it is no where near were it should be which is “true FREE elections” like the founders of this country intended. As it stands right now if your a rep or dem canidate your on the ballot and you dont have to come up with any signatures and thats how the socialists on both sides of the isle want to keep it!
Could people theoretically use the initiative to improve ballot access in Oklahoma?
“Could people theoretically use the initiative to improve ballot access in Oklahoma?”
There was an attempt in 2007 to place an initiative on the ballot that would have reduced the signature requirement for minor party and independent candidates in Oklahoma. That initiative failed to qualify for the ballot because the proponents could not collect enough signatures during the time frame for circulating.