On March 13, the Oklahoma House passed HB 2134 by a vote of 74-11. It reduces the number of signatures for a newly-qualifying party from 5% of the last vote cast, to 2.5% of the last vote cast. All eleven “no” votes were cast by Republicans.

Now the bill goes to the Senate, where the sponsor is Senator Bryce Marlatt (R-Woodward), the Majority Caucus Leader. If this bill is signed into law, Oklahoma will still have the nation’s most restrictive ballot access procedure for presidential candidates in the general election, when each state’s easier method for getting on the ballot is compared as a percentage of the electorate. Every other state has some procedure that is 2% of the last vote cast, or something easier. Thanks to E. Zachary Knight for this news.