On November 2, New York city voters passed a city ballot measure that cuts the number of signatures for city office in half.  The measure was combined with some other election reform ideas and passed easily.

In Oklahoma, with all precincts reporting, State Question 750 passed narrowly, 485,637 to 477,988.  This measure ends the “see-saw” effect for initiatives.  Currently, in Oklahoma, petition requirements for both new parties, and initiatives, are far more difficult to get on the ballot in midterm years than in presidential years.  That is because current law, for both types of petition, says the number of signatures is a certain percentage of the last vote cast.  Because the vote turnout in presidential years is about 50% higher than in midterm years, that accidentally makes the new party petition and the initiative petition far more severe in midterm years.  SQ 750 changes the formula for initiatives.  Instead of 8% of the last vote cast, an initiative for a state statute change would be 8% of the last gubernatorial vote.

Now that SQ 750 has passed, it will make it easier to persuade the 2011 session of the legislature to put the same idea into effect for new party petitions.  Otherwise, Oklahoma would be in the odd position of requiring fewer signatures for an initiative, than for a new party, in midterm years.