Oklahoma 2018 ballot measures

Elections in Oklahoma, 2018

• General election: Nov. 6
• Voter registration deadline: Oct. 12
• Early voting: Nov. 1 - Nov. 3
• Absentee voting deadline: Nov. 6

• Online registration: No
• Same-day registration: No
• Voter ID: Non-photo ID required
• Poll times: 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

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Six statewide ballot measures were certified for the 2018 ballot in the state of Oklahoma. One measure was for the primary election on June 26, 2018, which was approved. Five measures were on the ballot on November 6, 2018, of which, one was approved and four were defeated.

HIGHLIGHTS

The Medical Marijuana Legalization Initiative, State Question 788, was on the ballot for June 26, 2018. It was approved.

Four legislative referrals and one citizen initiative were on the ballot for the election on November 6, 2018. All were defeated except State Question 794 which expanded constitutional rights of crime victims.

On the ballot

June 26, 2018:

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
CISS	State Question 788	Marijuana	Legalizes medical marijauna	a

November 6, 2018:

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
CICA	State Question 793	Business	Allows optometrists and opticians to operate in retail	d
LRCA	State Question 794	Law Enforcement	Expands the constitutional rights of crime victims	a
LRCA	State Question 798	Elections	Provides for a joint ticket for governor and lt. governor	d
LRCA	State Question 800	Budgets	Creates a fund for the investment of 5% of oil and gas development tax revenue	d
LRCA	State Question 801	Taxes and Budgets	Allows certain property taxes to fund school operations	d

Getting measures on the ballot

See also: Laws governing ballot measures in Oklahoma

Initiatives:

Oklahoma has processes for initiated constitutional amendments, initiated state statutes, and veto referendums, making it one of 26 states in which statewide ballot measures can qualify for the ballot through a signature petition. The number of signatures required to qualify initiatives and veto referendums for the ballot is tied to the total votes cast for governor in the last gubernatorial election. For a signature petition to initiate a constitutional amendment, valid signatures must equal 15 percent of votes cast for governor—123,725 for the 2018 ballot. For initiated state statutes, the requirement is 8 percent—65,987 for the 2018 ballot—and for veto referendums, the requirement is 5 percent—41,242 for the 2018 ballot. Initiatives can be circulated for a maximum of 90 days. While the signature filing deadline in Oklahoma was September 8, 2018, for initiated statutes and initiated amendments—the latest initiative signature deadline in the country—state elections officials recommend submitted signatures eight months before the election. Signatures for veto referendums must be submitted within 90 days of the adjournment of the legislative session at which the bill targeted for repeal was passed.

Legislative referrals:

The state legislature can also put statewide measures on the ballot. Proposed constitutional amendments must be referred to the ballot and receive voter approval to be enacted. To put a proposed constitutional amendment on a general election ballot, a simple majority vote of all members in both the Oklahoma State Senate and the Oklahoma House of Representatives is required. If the legislature wants a proposed amendment to go on a special election ballot, it has to approve the amendment by a two-thirds (66.67%) vote. The 2018 regular legislative session was scheduled to convene on February 5, 2018, and adjourn on May 25, 2018.

The legislature can also refer state statutes to the ballot. In some cases, voter approval is required. For example, bills that raise revenue must pass in both the House and Senate with at least a three-fourths supermajority to be enacted without voter approval; if a revenue increasing bill passes by more a simple majority but less than a three-fourths supermajority, they must be referred to the ballot.

Historical facts

See also: History of Initiative & Referendum in Oklahoma and List of Oklahoma ballot measures

• A total of 76 measures appeared on statewide ballots in Oklahoma from 1996 to 2016.
• From 1996 to 2016, the number of measures on statewide ballots during even-numbered years ranged from three to 11.
• Between 1996 and 2016, an average of seven measures appeared on the ballot in Oklahoma during even-numbered election years.
• Between 1996 and 2016, about 81 percent (60 of 74) of the total number of measures that appeared on statewide ballots during even-numbered years were approved, and about 19 percent (14 of 74) were defeated.

Summary of campaign contributions

See also: Ballot measure campaign finance, 2018

The following chart illustrates how much support and opposition committees had amassed in campaign contributions for each measure on the ballot:

Note: In some cases committees are registered to support or oppose multiple propositions. Ballotpedia lists the total sum that all committees registered to support or oppose each proposition have received in contributions. This means that the sum of all contributions in the chart below is higher than the total amount contributed.

November 6:

Ballot Measure:	Support contributions:	Opposition contributions:	Outcome:
Oklahoma State Question 793	$	$	d
Oklahoma State Question 801	$	$	d
Oklahoma State Question 794	$	$	a
Oklahoma State Question 798	$	$	d
Oklahoma State Question 800	$	$	d

June 26:

Ballot Measure:	Support contributions:	Opposition contributions:	Outcome:
Oklahoma State Question 788	$280,116.55	$1,261,436.02	a
Oklahoma State Question 788	$	$	a

Cost per required signature

See also: Ballot measure signature costs, 2018

The cost-per-required signature (CPRS) is a comparison of the amount of money spent on the petition drive to the number of signatures the state requires for an initiative to make the ballot. The following chart illustrates the CPRS for ballot initiatives:

Ballot Measure:	Topic:	Petition company	Cost	Signatures	CPRS
Oklahoma State Question 793	Business regulation		$0	123,725	$0
Oklahoma State Question 788	Marijuana		$26,988.00	65,987	$0.41
Oklahoma State Question 788	Marijuana		$26,988.00	65,987	$0.41
Averages:	N/A	N/A	$13,494	N/A	$0.21

Not on the ballot

See also: Proposed ballot measures that were not on a ballot

The list below contains measures that were proposed and reached a certain stage in the initiative or referral process, but did not make the ballot.

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
CICA	Medical Marijuana Constitutional Amendment Initiative (SQ 796)	Marijuana	Classifies marijuana as an herbal drug and allows medical marijuana in the state
CICA	Marijuana Legalization Constitutional Amendment Initiative (SQ 797)	Marijuana	Permits a person twenty-one years and older to possess and consume limited amounts of marijuana
CICA	Regulations Governing the Sale of Wine and Beer Initiative	Alcohol	Laws to regulate alcoholic beverages
LRCA	Voter ID Amendment	Elections	Requires a voter ID, as provided by law
LRCA	Crime Victim Rights Amendment	Law Enforcement	Expands the constitutional rights of crime victims
LRCA	Legislative Act as General or Comprehensive Subject Amendment	Legislature	Requires that an act be one general or one comprehensive subject
LRCA	Senate Confirmation of Judicial Appointments Amendment	Judiciary	Requires nominating commission to provide five judicial candidates to the governor and confirmation of final choice by the Senate
LRCA	Advisory Judicial Nominating Commission Amendment	Judiciary	Orders the Judicial Nominating Commission to offer advisory opinions on the governor's nominee to fill a judicial vacancy
LRSS	Oklahoma Tax on Tobacco, Fuel, and Low-point Beer Measure	Taxes	Establishes new taxes on cigarettes, little cigars, chewing tobacco, fuel, low-point beer, and oil or gas produced from new wells.
CICA	Increased Tax on Oil and Gas Wells for Education Funding Initiative	Taxes	Levies a 5 percent tax on gross production of oil and gas from wells for education funding.
LRCA	Reduced Supermajority Requirement for Tax Increases (HJR 1050)	Taxes	Reduces the supermajority vote required in the legislature for tax increases from 75% to 66.67%
VR	Increased Taxes on Gasoline, Cigarettes, and Oil and Gas Production for Education Funding Veto Referendum (SQ 799)	Taxes	Repeals gas, oil, and tobacco tax for education funding
LRCA	Reduced Supermajority Requirement for Sales Tax Increases Amendment (SJR 61)	Taxes	Reduces the supermajority vote required in the legislature for sales tax increases from 75% to 60%

State profile

Demographic data for Oklahoma
	Oklahoma	U.S.
Total population:	3,907,414	316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):	68,595	3,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:	73.1%	73.6%
Black/African American:	7.2%	12.6%
Asian:	1.9%	5.1%
Native American:	7.3%	0.8%
Pacific Islander:	0.1%	0.2%
Two or more:	7.8%	3%
Hispanic/Latino:	9.6%	17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:	86.9%	86.7%
College graduation rate:	24.1%	29.8%
Income
Median household income:	$46,879	$53,889
Persons below poverty level:	19.7%	11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Oklahoma. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

Presidential voting pattern

See also: Presidential voting trends in Oklahoma

Oklahoma voted Republican in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.

More Oklahoma coverage on Ballotpedia

• Elections in Oklahoma
• United States congressional delegations from Oklahoma
• Public policy in Oklahoma
• Endorsers in Oklahoma
• Oklahoma fact checks
• More...

See also

• 2018 ballot measures
• Oklahoma signature requirements
• Laws governing the initiative process in Oklahoma
• Oklahoma Legislature