On March 17, the Oklahoma House passed HB 1058 by a vote of 69-17. Now it goes to the Senate. It reduces the number of signatures to get a party on the ballot from 5% of the last vote cast, to exactly 22,500 signatures. Thanks to Angelia O’Dell for this news. The existing law required 73,134 signatures in 2010, and 51,739 in 2012.

If HB 1058 is signed into law, the only states in 2012 which will require more than 50,000 signatures to get a presidential candidate on the November ballot (by the easier method, independent or new party) will be California, Georgia, and North Carolina. Bills are pending in North Carolina to lower the North Carolina signature requirements, but they won’t be brought up in committee until April. No bills are pending in Georgia or California.

UPDATE: all of the “No” votes were Republicans, except that one Democrat, Mike Shelton, also voted “no.” One of the Republicans who voted “no” was Sue Tibbs, who had introduced HB 2654 in 2002 to lower the minor party petition down to 5,000 signatures, and also to ease the vote test for a party to remain on from 10% to 1%.