On the evening of April 27, the Oklahoma House passed SB 145 unanimously. This is the bill that eases ballot access for independent presidential candidates, and the presidential nominees of unqualified parties. The sponsor’s office had told me on April 27, on the phone, that it would not be brought up on April 27, which was the deadline for bills this year. It wasn’t on the day’s agenda. But, after that phone call, the sponsor arranged to have the bill added onto the agenda, a very unusual move for that time of day. The bill had passed the Senate in March.

The bill reduces the number of signatures for president from 3% of the last presidential vote, to 3% of the last gubernatorial vote. More significantly, it lets a candidate on the ballot without a petition, if the candidate pays a filing fee. The amount of that fee equals seven multiplied by the filing fee for presidential primary candidates. Unfortunately the legislature might pass SB 323 soon. That bill raises the presidential primary filing fee from $2,500 to $5,000. If SB 323, as currently worded, becomes law, the general election filing fee for independent presidential candidates will be a staggering $35,000 instead of $17,500.