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Oklahoma State Question 798, Governor and Lieutenant Governor Joint Ticket Amendment (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.
| Oklahoma State Question 798 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Election date November 6, 2018 | |
| Topic Elections and campaigns | |
Status Defeated | |
| Type Constitutional amendment | Origin State legislature |
The Oklahoma Governor and Lieutenant Governor Joint Ticket Amendment, State Question 798, was on the ballot in Oklahoma as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment on November 6, 2018. The measure was defeated.
| A "yes" vote supported this measure to amend the Oklahoma Constitution to provide for the governor and lieutenant governor to be elected together on one ticket starting in 2026. |
| A "no" vote opposed this measure to amend the Oklahoma Constitution to provide for joint governor and lieutenant governor tickets, thereby leaving the governor and lieutenant governor to each be elected separately with separate campaigns. |
Election results
|
Oklahoma State Question 798 |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
| Yes | 528,614 | 45.91% | ||
|
|
622,863 | 54.09% | ||
Overview
Measure design
State Question 798 would have amended the state constitution to provide for the governor and lieutenant governor to be elected together on one ticket starting in 2026.[1] As of 2018, the governor and lieutenant governor were elected on separate ballots. Requiring the governor and lieutenant governor to run on the same ticket would have prevented them from being from different parties.[2][3]
How were lieutenant governors elected in other states?
In 26 states, the lieutenant governor was selected on a ticket with the governor as of 2018, meaning that lieutenant gubernatorial candidates served as running mates to gubernatorial candidates, with the winning gubernatorial candidate's running mate becoming lieutenant governor. In 18 of those 26 states, candidates for governor picked their own running mates in a similar fashion to presidential candidates. In 8 of those 26 states, there were separate primaries for governor and lieutenant governor, with the winning candidate in each primary appearing on the general election ticket. In 17 states, the lieutenant governor was elected separately from the governor.
As of 2018, what did the lieutenant governor do?
As of 2018, the lieutenant governor was the first in line to become the new Governor of Oklahoma upon the death, resignation or removal of the governor. The lieutenant governor also served as the president of the Oklahoma State Senate, presiding over joint sessions of the state Legislature, and may cast the tie-breaking votes in the Senate. The lieutenant governor presided over, appoints a designee, or was a member of 10 state boards and commissions. The lieutenant governor had such other responsibilities and duties as the governor assigned.[4]
Text of measure
Ballot title
The ballot title for this amendment is below:[1]
| “ |
This measure will add a provision to the Oklahoma Constitution to change the manner in which the Governor and Lieutenant Governor are elected. Currently, voters cast one vote for their preferred candidate for Governor and a separate vote for their preferred candidate for Lieutenant Governor. Under this measure, if approved, candidates for Governor and Lieutenant Governor for the same party will run together on a single ticket and voters will cast one vote for their preferred ticket. The measure requires the Legislature to establish procedures for the joint nomination and election of candidates for Governor and Lieutenant Governor. If passed, this new election format will be used beginning in the 2026 general election cycle. SHALL THE PROPOSAL BE APPROVED? FOR THE PROPOSAL – YES AGAINST THE PROPOSAL – NO[5] |
” |
Constitutional changes
- See also: Article VI, Oklahoma Constitution
State Question 798 would have added a new subsection to section 3 of Article VI of the state constitution. The following underlined section of text would have been added:[1]
Section 3.1. Beginning with the General Election held in 2026 and in each General Election for Governor and Lieutenant Governor held thereafter, one vote shall be cast for the candidates for those positions of the same political party. The Legislature, by law, shall provide the procedure for the joint nomination and election of candidates for Governor and Lieutenant Governor.[5]
Readability score
- See also: Ballot measure readability scores, 2018
| Using the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL and Flesch Reading Ease (FRE) formulas, Ballotpedia scored the readability of the ballot title and summary for this measure. Readability scores are designed to indicate the reading difficulty of text. The Flesch-Kincaid formulas account for the number of words, syllables, and sentences in a text; they do not account for the difficulty of the ideas in the text. The state legislature wrote the ballot language for this measure.
In 2018, for the 167 statewide measures on the ballot, the average ballot title or question was written at a level appropriate for those with between 19 and 20 years of U.S. formal education (graduate school-level of education), according to the FKGL formula. Read Ballotpedia's entire 2018 ballot language readability report here. |
Support
Rep. Mark Lepak (R) and Sen. Adam Pugh (R) sponsored this amendment.[3]
Arguments
Vice President for Political Affairs at the State Chamber of Oklahoma, Cordon DeKock, said, “Partnering the Governor and Lieutenant Governor is a common-sense move that will ensure we have a leadership team with a unified vision. Aligning these positions will allow our officials to coordinate to provide more robust oversight of executive agencies and to accomplish other goals for the state.”[6]
Opposition
Ballotpedia did not identify committees, organizations, or individuals opposing the ballot initiative.
Media editorials
- See also: 2018 ballot measure media endorsements
Support
- Tulsa World said: "We endorse State Question 798, which would provide for the governor and lieutenant governor to run on a single ticket starting in 2026. Oklahoma’s current system of independently electing lieutenant governors hasn’t produced a stellar list of leaders; but it has, at times, produced needless and counterproductive friction between the state’s two top executives. A single, unified leadership seems reasonable."[7]
- The Enid News & Eagle said: "We realize merging two tickets eliminates an option for voters, but we believe 798 would help more than it could hurt. This concept works at the federal level. The practical measure requires the Legislature to establish procedures for the joint nomination and election by the 2026 election cycle, so we figure lawmakers should have plenty of time to iron that out."[8]
Opposition
Ballotpedia did not identify any media editorials opposing State Question 798.
Campaign finance
One committee, SQ 798 for Accountable Leadership, was registered in support of State Question 798. The support committee had reported $100 in contributions, contributed by the State Chamber of Oklahoma, and $25,078 in expenditures. Ballotpedia did not identify any committees registered in opposition to State Question 798.[9]
| Cash Contributions | In-Kind Contributions | Total Contributions | Cash Expenditures | Total Expenditures | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Support | $100.00 | $0.00 | $100.00 | $25,077.90 | $25,077.90 |
| Oppose | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Total | $100.00 | $0.00 | $100.00 | $25,077.90 | $25,077.90 |
Support
The following table includes contribution and expenditure totals for the committees in support of the measure.[9]
| Committees in support of State Question 798 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Committee | Cash Contributions | In-Kind Contributions | Total Contributions | Cash Expenditures | Total Expenditures |
| SQ 798 for Accountable Leadership | $100.00 | $0.00 | $100.00 | $25,077.90 | $25,077.90 |
| Total | $100.00 | $0.00 | $100.00 | $25,077.90 | $25,077.90 |
Polls
- See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls
In a January 2018 SoonerPoll poll commissioned by the State Chamber of Oklahoma, voters were asked the following question:[6]
| “ |
Would you SUPPORT or OPPOSE making candidates for governor and lieutenant governor run together on the ballot like president and vice president rather than running separately?[5] |
” |
| Oklahoma Governor and Lieutenant Governor Joint Ticket | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Strongly support | Somewhat support | COMBINED SUPPORT | No opinion/Refused | Somewhat oppose | Strongly oppose | COMBINED OPPOSE | Margin of error | Sample size | ||||||||||
| SoonerPoll 1/4/18 - 1/9/18 | 36.7% | 21.4% | 58.1% | 17.5% | 13.0% | 11.4% | 24.4% | +/-4.84 | 409 | ||||||||||
| Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org. | |||||||||||||||||||
Background
Lieutenant governors in the United States
Selection process for lieutenant governors
In 26 states, the lieutenant governor is selected on a ticket with the governor, meaning that lieutenant gubernatorial candidates serve as running mates to gubernatorial candidates, with the winning gubernatorial candidate's running mate becoming lieutenant governor. In eight of these states, there are separate primaries for governor and lieutenant governor, with the winning candidate in each primary appearing on the general election ticket. In the remaining 18 states, gubernatorial candidates may pick their own running mates in a similar fashion to presidential candidates. In 17 states, the lieutenant governor is elected separately from the governor. In Tennessee and West Virginia, the title of lieutenant governor is given to the president of the state Senate.[10]
- Lt. gov. nominated in separate primary and elected in separate general election (17): Alabama, Arkansas, California, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington
- Lt. gov. nominated in separate primary but runs on a single ticket with gubernatorial nominee in general election (7): Connecticut, Hawaii, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin
- Lt. gov. chosen by gubernatorial candidate before primary and runs on a single ticket with gubernatorial candidate in both the primary and general election (9): Alaska, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Ohio, Utah
- Lt. gov. chosen by gubernatorial nominee after primary and runs on a single ticket with gubernatorial nominee in the general election (10): Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Nebraska, New Jersey, South Carolina, South Dakota
- Lt. gov. is a member of the legislature (2): Tennessee, West Virginia
- Lt. gov. office does not exist in state (5): Arizona, Maine, New Hampshire, Oregon, Wyoming
House Joint Resolution 1019
The Oklahoma State House defeated House Joint Resolution 1019 (HJR 1019) in 2015 which would have called for the governor and lieutenant governor to be elected jointly rather than separately. HJR 1019 was sponsored by Rep. Gary Banz (R-101) and Sen. Ron Justice (R-23). The measure failed in the House on March 4, 2015, with a vote 46-44. It would have needed a vote of 51 to pass. After a motion to reconsider, the measure passed in the House on March 9, 2015, in a vote of 52-44 but failed in the Senate on March 21, 2015, in a vote of 15-31.[11][12]
Referred amendments on the ballot
From 1996 through 2016, the Oklahoma State Legislature referred 63 constitutional amendments to the ballot. Voters approved 52 and rejected 11 of the referred amendments. All but one of the amendments were referred to the ballot for elections during even-numbered election years. The average number of amendments appearing on even-year ballots was between five and six. The approval rate of referred amendments at the ballot box was 82.5 percent during the 20-year period from 1996 through 2016. The rejection rate was 17.5 percent. The following table contains data for referred amendments during even-numbered election years from 1996 through 2016:
| Legislatively-referred constitutional amendments, 1996-2016 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total number | Approved | Percent approved | Defeated | Percent defeated | Annual average | Annual median | Annual minimum | Annual maximum | |
| 62 | 51 | 82.26% | 11 | 17.74% | 5.64 | 6.00 | 3 | 9 | |
Path to the ballot
- See also: Amending the Oklahoma Constitution
To put a legislatively referred constitutional amendment before voters, a simple majority is required in both the Oklahoma State Senate and the Oklahoma House of Representatives.
State Question 798 was introduced by Sen. Adam Pugh (R) and Rep. Mark Lepak (R) as Senate Joint Resolution 66. It was approved by the state Senate on March 13, 2018, in a vote of 29-12, with seven excused. Four Republicans joined all eight Democrats in opposing the amendment in the Senate. On April 23, 2018, the state House approved the measure with amendments in a vote of 69 to 22 with 10 excused and one vacancy. On April 25, the state Senate concurred with the House amendments and approved the measure in a vote of 34 to 9 with 4 excused and one vacancy, certifying the measure for the ballot.[3]
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How to cast a vote
- See also: Voting in Oklahoma
Poll times
In Oklahoma, all polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Central Time. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.[13]
Registration requirements
- Check your voter registration status here.
To vote in Oklahoma, one must be at least 18 years old, a United States citizen, and a resident of Oklahoma.[14]
The deadline for registration is 25 days prior to the election.
| “ | You can fill out a Voter Registration Application using the OK Voter Portal "wizard." (Be sure to print, sign, and mail or hand-deliver the application to your County Election Board to complete the process.) Voter registration applications are also available at your County Election Board, most tag agencies, post offices, and libraries and can be downloaded from the State Election Board website..[5] | ” |
| —Oklahoma State Election Board[14] | ||
Once an applicant has been successfully registered, the county election board will mail him or her a voter identification card.[14]
Automatic registration
Oklahoma does not practice automatic voter registration.[15]
Online registration
- See also: Online voter registration
Oklahoma has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.[16]
Same-day registration
Oklahoma does not allow same-day voter registration.[15]
Residency requirements
To register to vote in Oklahoma, you must be a resident of the state.[14]
Verification of citizenship
Oklahoma does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual must attest that they are a U.S. citizen when registering to vote. According to the state's voter registration application, a voter who submits false information commits a "felony punishable by not more than five years in prison, by a fine of not more than $50,000, or both."[17]
All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment.[18] Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.
Verifying your registration
The Oklahoma State Election Board allows residents to check their voter registration status online by visiting this website.
Voter ID requirements
Oklahoma requires voters to present identification while voting.[19] Generally, voters are required to present a photo ID, but there is an exception to this requirement.
Valid forms of identification include government-issued photo IDs and county election board voter identification cards (which do not include photographs).
Voters can present a document issued by the United States government, the State of Oklahoma, or a federally recognized tribal government. The document must include the following information:
- Name
- Photograph
- Expiration date that is after the date of the election[19]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Oklahoma Legislature, "Senate Joint Resolution 66," accessed March 14, 2018
- ↑ The Oklahoman, "Oklahoma lawmakers consider amending election laws," accessed April 27, 2018
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Oklahoma State Legislature, "Senate Joint Resolution 66," accessed March 14, 2018
- ↑ Lieutenant Governor Todd Lamb, "History of the Office of the Lieutenant Governor," accessed May 6, 2018
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source. Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "quotedisclaimer" defined multiple times with different content Cite error: Invalid<ref>tag; name "quotedisclaimer" defined multiple times with different content Cite error: Invalid<ref>tag; name "quotedisclaimer" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ 6.0 6.1 SoonerPoll, "Majority of Oklahomans believe the governor and lieutenant governor should run as a team on the ballot," accessed May 2, 2018
- ↑ Tulsa World, "Tulsa World editorial: Five state question seek to redesign everything from state finance to the nature of eye care," accessed October 13, 2018
- ↑ Enid News & Eagle, "Suggestions on 3 statewide ballot measures," accessed November 4, 2018
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Oklahoma Ethics Commission Electronic Reporting System , "Committee Search," accessed January 31, 2019
- ↑ National Lieutenant Governors Association, "Methods of Election," accessed August 27, 2025
- ↑ News OK, "Oklahoma House defeats joint gubernatorial ticket amendment," accessed May 2, 2018
- ↑ Oklahoma State Legislature, "Bill Information for HJR 1019 ," accessed May 6, 2018
- ↑ Oklahoma State Election Board, "Frequently Asked Questions," accessed April 27, 2023
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 Oklahoma State Election Board, "Voter Registration in Oklahoma," accessed April 27, 2023
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 NCSL, "State Profiles: Elections," accessed August 8, 2024
- ↑ Oklahoma State Election Board, "Phase One of Online Vote Registration is LIVE!" accessed June 8, 2023
- ↑ Oklahoma State Election Board, "Oklahoma Voter Registration Application," accessed November 2, 2024
- ↑ Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 Oklahoma State Election Board, "Facts about Proof of Identity for Voting in Oklahoma," accessed April 27, 2023
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