Oklahoma State Senator Randy Brogdon has introduced SB 359, to improve ballot access. For independent presidential candidates, who now need a petition signed by 3% of the last presidential vote (the worst in the nation), the bill permits a filing fee option. The fee would be $5,000.
For a new or previously unqualified party, the bill reduces the number of signatures from 5% of the last vote cast to exactly 5,000 signatures. Oklahoma required exactly 5,000 signatures for new parties from 1924 to 1974, and no election ever saw more than two minor parties on the Oklahoma ballot during those years.
Also, the bill lowers the vote test for a party to remain on the ballot from 10% to 1%. The national median vote test for a party to remain on the ballot is 2%.
Oklahoma was the only state in 2008 in which voters could not vote for president unless they voted for the Republican nominee or the Democratic nominee. The same situation was true in 2004 in Oklahoma as well. Thanks to Tom Holmes for this news.
In the old Soviet Union, and in other tyrannies, only one party was ever allowed on the ballot.
Since it allows two, Oklahoma is only half as bad as the old Soviet Union.
Michael Morrison: our thots exactly! A half century ago it was looked upon by other Heart Landers as an inland, rural ‘Corrupt Chicago’! Ya gotta be pretty bad to make Omaha, Wichita, and other Pendergast gangster out posts like KC look good!
Wanted, cheap thrills. For years the Hoffpauirs and other so called ‘reformers’ in the OK state have been spending time and energy in intra partisan back stabbing and back dealing instead of working on real establishment corruption problems. OK is so bad that there exists a wide spectrum opposition to disenfranchisement. Not an ‘official’ reformer in sight………
The Republicratic Duopoly IS one party in the guise of two distinct parties.
What can out-of-staters do to help?
I’d love to help.
Glaivester,
At the moment, all out-of-staters can do is be arrested it seems.
Great bill, hopefully it will be passed into law.
With the Republicans in control of the state legislature in Oklahoma I expect the worst. Why? The GOP now feels more threatened than the Democrats in this state. The GOP has a razor thin edge on power and cannot entrench itself with patronage unless it can hold on for several elections. None of this means any significant differences in policy between the two conjoined parties. It’s just personal rivalry and patronage that are in dispute. Ballot access justice plays no role in advancing either party’s agenda to reap the spoils. So says Cassandra.
Oh, the Dems are almost as bad. We are not talking twins, but Kissin Cousins? yes!
Donald Raymond Lake
Well-stated, Michael Morrison!
Forget the Soviet Union……right here, year after year, in a huge number of races across the country (Richard has the exact percentages, I’m sure) for state house, state senate, and US Congress, there is only one candidate on the ballot (the incumbent). What kind of democracy is THAT?