Oklahoma 2020 ballot measures

Elections in Oklahoma, 2020

• Election date: Nov. 3
• Registration deadline(s): Oct. 9
• Online registration: No
• Same-day registration: No
• Recount laws

• Early voting starts: Oct. 29
• Absentee/mail voting deadline(s): Nov. 3 (received)
• Processing, counting, and challenging absentee/mail-in ballots
• Voter ID: Non-photo ID
• Poll times: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

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2020 Oklahoma Ballot Measures
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Three statewide ballot measures were certified to appear on the ballot in the state of Oklahoma in 2020. One measure was on the June primary ballot and was approved. Two measures were on the November ballot and both were defeated.

HIGHLIGHTS

State Question 805 was the only citizen initiative on the November ballot in Oklahoma. It would have prohibited a convicted person's former felony convictions from being used to impose greater sentences and provided for sentence modifications to eligible individuals.

The Oklahoma State Legislature referred State Question 814 to the November ballot to decrease appropriations made to the state's Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET) Fund and direct the legislature to make appropriations to secure federal matching funds for the state's Medicaid program. It was defeated.

State Question 802, the Oklahoma Medicaid Expansion Initiative, was on the June primary ballot where it was approved.

A total of 80 measures appeared on the statewide ballot in Oklahoma from 1996 to 2018, 77.5% (62 of 80) of the measures were approved and 22.5% (18 of 80) were defeated.

On the ballot

June 30, 2020:

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
CICA	State Question 802	Healthcare	Expands Medicaid in Oklahoma to certain low-income adults between 18 and 65 with incomes below 133% of the federal poverty level	a

November 3, 2020:

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
CICA	State Question 805	Civil and criminal trials	Prohibits a convicted person's former felony convictions from being used to calculate future punishments; provides for sentence modifications for eligible persons	d
LRCA	State Question 814	Tobacco and Healthcare	Decreases payments made to the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust Fund from 75% to 25%, directs the legislature to appropriate money from the fund to secure federal matching funds for the state's Medicaid program	d

Local ballot measures

See also: November 3, 2020 ballot measures in Oklahoma

In 2020, Ballotpedia covered local measures that appeared on the ballot for voters within the top 100 largest cities in the U.S. and a selection of notable police-related and election-related measures outside of the top 100 largest cities. Ballotpedia also covered all local measures in California and all statewide ballot measures. Click here to see the scope of Ballotpedia local ballot measure coverage by year.

Click here for more information about local ballot measures on the November 2020 ballot in Oklahoma.

Getting measures on the ballot

See also: Laws governing ballot measures in Oklahoma

Initiatives and referendums

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.

Signature requirements

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% of votes cast for governor—177,958 for the 2020 ballot. For initiated state statutes, the requirement is 8%—94,911 for the 2020 ballot—and for veto referendums, the requirement is 5%—59,320 for the 2020 ballot.

Signature deadlines

Once an initiative petition is filed, protests may be filed challenging the sufficiency of the petition within 10 days after the notice of filing is published. The Secretary of State sets the date for signature collection to begin at least 15 days (but no more than 30 days) after any/all protests challenging the petition have been resolved. Initiatives can be circulated for a maximum of 90 days; with signatures being due by 5:00 p.m. local time on the 90th day. State elections officials in Oklahoma recommend filing a proposed initiative during the first months of the year preceding the targeted election year due to the two periods during which challenges may be filed against an initiative. For example, to qualify an initiative for the November 2020 ballot, Oklahoma elections officials recommend filing the initiative proposal in the early months of 2019.

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.

The Oklahoma Secretary of State officially tolled the signature gathering deadline for initiative petitions until the governor lifted the state's emergency declaration, which means the window for signature gathering for each initiative was pushed forward instead of continuing to run during the state's response to the coronavirus pandemic. Moreover, the secretary of state announced that the state would also pause the approval of any new initiatives for signatures gathering and, therefore, delay starting petitioners' 90-day window.

Signature verification

Once signatures are submitted, the Secretary of State's office counts the signatures and submits a report to the state supreme court, which determines the sufficiency of the signatures counted by the Secretary of State. After the supreme court determines the sufficiency of signatures, the court orders the Secretary of State to publish a notice of the signature submission, the ballot title, and notice that any citizen may file a petition with the supreme court challenging the sufficiency of the signatures or ballot title within 10 days.

After the petition is found to have sufficient signatures and all challenges have been resolved, the Secretary of State notifies the governor, who issues an election proclamation. The governor’s election proclamation must be issued and certified to the State Election Board at least 70 days prior to an election in order for a state question to appear on a ballot. Measures are generally placed on the next general election ballot, but the governor may call a special election or place the measure on the primary ballot.

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 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 80 measures appeared on statewide ballots in Oklahoma from 1996 to 2018.
• From 1996 to 2018, the number of measures on statewide ballots during even-numbered years ranged from three to 11.
• All measures appeared on the ballot during even-numbered years except one legislatively referred constitutional amendment that appeared on the ballot in 2001.
• Between 1996 and 2018, an average of seven measures appeared on the ballot in Oklahoma during even-numbered election years.
• Between 1996 and 2018, about 77.5 percent (62 of 80) of the total number of measures that appeared on statewide ballots during even-numbered years were approved, and about 22.5 percent (18 of 80) were defeated.

Not on the ballot

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
LRCA	Redirect Tobacco Settlement Funds Amendment	Gov't finance and Healthcare	Creates the Community and Regional Empowerment Fund for the purpose of benefitting rural health care in Oklahoma
VR	Allow Carrying of Firearms Without a Permit Referendum	Firearms	Repeals House Bill 2597 which allows firearms (loaded or unloaded) to be carried without a permit
CICA	State Question 804, Independent Redistricting Commission Initiative	Redistricting measures	Creates an independent redistricting commission responsible for congressional and state legislative redistricting
CICA	Oklahoma State Question 806, Marijuana Legalization Initiative	Marijuana	Legalizes and regulates marijuana for persons 21 years old and older; imposes a 15% excise tax on marijuana sales
CICA	Oklahoma State Question 807, Marijuana Legalization Initiative	Marijuana	Legalizes and regulates marijuana for persons 21 years old and older; imposes a 15% excise tax on marijuana sales
CICA	Oklahoma State Question 808, Constitutional Right to Cannabis Consumption Initiative	Marijuana	Creates a constitutional right to consume cannabis; requires those convicted of marijuana offenses to be exonerated and/or released from incarceration
CISS	Oklahoma State Question 809, Reinstate Permitting Requirements for Firearms Initiative	Firearms	Reinstates firearm permitting requirements that were effective before the passage of House Bill 2597 in 2019
CICA	State Question 810, Independent Redistricting Commission Initiative	Redistricting measures	Creates an independent redistricting commission responsible for congressional and state legislative redistricting
CICA	Oklahoma State Question 811, Marijuana Legalization Initiative	Marijuana	Legalizes and regulates marijuana for persons 18 years old and older and imposes a 25% excise tax on marijuana sales
LRCA	Create Cap on Noneconomic Damages and Prohibit Cap on Economic Damages in Civil Lawsuits Amendment (SJR 40)	Tort law	Creates a limit on noneconomic damages and prohibits a limit on economic damages in civil lawsuits
LRCA	Distribution Requirements for Initiative Petitions Amendment (HJR 1027)	Direct democracy measures	Creates distribution requirements for initiative petitions by requiring that the percentage of voters needed to qualify petitions be based on every congressional district
ABR	Constitutional Convention Question	Constitutional conventions	Asks voters whether or not Oklahoma should hold a constitutional convention

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

• 2020 ballot measures
• Oklahoma signature requirements
• Laws governing the initiative process in Oklahoma
• Oklahoma Legislature