Oklahoma signature requirements

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This page details Oklahoma signature requirements. In many states, the signatures of registered voters must be collected to place candidates or initiatives on the ballot. However, for candidates, filing fees are sometimes required or accepted in lieu of signatures.

Federal offices

U.S. Senate

Candidates for U.S. Senate must pay a $1,000 fee. In lieu of payment, a candidate may submit a petition with signatures from at least 5% of registered voters.

U.S. House

Candidates for U.S. House must pay a $750 filling fee. In lieu of payment, a candidate may submit a petition with signatures from at least 5% of registered voters.

Filing deadlines

2012

See also: Signature requirements and deadlines for 2012 U.S. Congress elections

Candidates wishing to run in the June 26, 2012 primary had to file by April 13, 2012.

State offices

State legislature

Major party candidates for the State Senate or House of Representatives must pay a $30 filing fee, while non-affliated candidates do not have to submit a fee.

Filing deadlines

2012

See also: Signature requirements and deadlines for 2012 state government elections

State legislative candidates wishing to run in the June 26, 2012 primary had to file by April 13, 2012.

Ballot measures

Signature requirements

Signature requirements in Oklahoma are calculated as a percentage of the total number of votes cast in the state's most recent general election for whichever statewide office (including president) received the highest number of votes in that election.

Because of this method of calculation, the number of required signatures can change fairly dramatically from year-to-year, going down after an election year in which there is no presidential contest, and going back up after an election year in which there was a presidential contest.

For example, in 2008, Oklahoma voters cast 1,462,661 votes for the office of president, whereas in 2010, voters cast 1,034,767 votes for governor. As a result, to put a constitutional amendment on the 2012 ballot requires 155,215 signatures, whereas to put an amendment on the 2010 ballot would have required 219,400 signatures, a difference of more than 60,000 signatures.

Current Requirements

The number of signatures required is tied to the total vote cast for governor in the last gubernatorial election. Amendments, statutes, and veto referendums must receive signatures equaling 15%, 8%, and 5% of this vote, respectively. Previously rejected measures require 25% of this vote in order to be placed on the ballot again within 3 years. Signatures are presumed valid unless challenged.

The basis of the Oklahoma signature requirement used to be the votes cast for the office receiving the most votes in the state's last general election. Due to higher turnout for presidential elections, the signature requirement varied widely every fourth year. In 2010, voters passed Oklahoma State Question 750 amending the requirement.

Year	Amendment	Statute	Veto referendum
2014	155,216	82,782	51,739
2012	155,216	82,782	51,739
2010	219,400	117,013	73,134
2008	138,970	74,117	46,324
1994	208,554	111,229	-
1992	175,656	93,683	-
1990	175,656	-	-
1989	136,489	-	-

See law: Oklahoma Constitution, Article V, Section 2 & Section 6

Basis for calculation

• The highest number of votes cast in the most recent general election (2010) were the votes cast for Governor; this number came to 1,034,767. This has led to a decrease in the number of signatures required for a 2012 ballot initiative since the relevant number going into 2010 was the number of votes cast for Presidential elector in 2008, which was 1,462,661 votes.

• Previously rejected initiative or referendum measures require 25% of the vote in signatures. Currently, this number is 258,692.

Signature filing deadline

• Signatures for a citizen initiative, whether it is a initiated state statute or a initiated constitutional amendment, must be filed within 90 days of the time that the initiative proponent filed the petition with the Oklahoma Secretary of State.

• Signatures for a veto referendum must be filed within 90 days of the adjournment of the legislative session of the Oklahoma State Legislature that enacted the disputed measure.

• The absolute latest deadline for submitting signatures -- regardless of when the proponent started to collect them -- is 60 days prior to the election or September 7, 2012.

• However, the deadline for filing signatures in 2012 has not yet officially been set.

Proposed reforms

Main article: Changes in 2009 to laws governing the initiative process

• Oklahoma Senate Joint Resolution 13, 2009 may go to a vote of the people on the 2010 ballot. The amendment will tie the number of required signatures to the vote for governor, instead of for president in presidential election years.

• Oklahoma Senate Bill 852, 2009 makes several changes including extending the circulation period from 90 days to one year.

SJR 13 and SB 852 are both sponsored by Randy Brogdon.

See also

• Laws governing the initiative process in Oklahoma

External links

• List of all filed Oklahoma ballot measures (Scroll to end of document for possible 2010 ballot measures)
• Signature requirements from the Oklahoma Secretary of State
• NCSL signature chart for 2008
• Oklahoma signature requirements collated by the Citizens in Charge Foundation