Oklahoma Democrat Wants Popular Vote on Ballot Access and Other Election Reform Ideas

February 14th, 2009

Oklahoma State Representative Ryan Kiesel (D-Seminole) has introduced HB 2206, to provide that the voters decide in November 2010 whether they want to make these changes to the election code: (1) lower the number of signatures for a new party from 5% of the last vote cast to exactly 5,000 signatures: (2) lower the vote test for a party to remain on the ballot from 10% to 1%; (3) let 17-year olds vote in a primary if they will be age 18 by the general election; (4) establish election day voter registration; (5) abolish the Straight-Ticket device; (6) lower the number of signatures for an independent presidential candidate from 3% of the last presidential vote to exactly 5,000, or let an independent presidential candidate on the ballot with no petition by paying a fee of $5,000; (7) establish early voting.

9 Responses to “Oklahoma Democrat Wants Popular Vote on Ballot Access and Other Election Reform Ideas”

  1. citizen1 Says:
    February 14th, 2009 at 11:05 am

    Wow! Democrat wanting to do something democratic. The best way to get these past is to put them on the ballot.

  2. Michael Morrison Says:
    February 14th, 2009 at 11:36 am

    Most of the states I know anything about already allow 17-year-olds to vote in primaries, if they will be 18 as of general election day.
    But Oklahoma seems finally to be coming into the 20th century … and only a few years into the 21st.

  3. Coming back to the LP Says:
    February 14th, 2009 at 12:05 pm

    Finally, a great list of reforms.

    Too bad the legislature doesn’t have enough honest, liberty minded members to pass this.

    Let’s hope the voters can have their say so that these reforms will be passed into law.

  4. Ross Levin Says:
    February 14th, 2009 at 2:13 pm

    Any chance of this happening? Oklahoma is as red as it gets.

  5. Steven R Linnabary Says:
    February 14th, 2009 at 6:21 pm

    IMHO, “establish election day voter registration” might kill the idea. This always scares some voters.

    The rest is pretty noncontroversial.

    PEACE

  6. Darryl W. Perry Says:
    February 15th, 2009 at 3:52 pm

    Will this pe proposed as a “package” or each item individually?

  7. Richard Says:
    February 15th, 2009 at 4:33 pm

    One great big package.

  8. Darryl W. Perry Says:
    February 16th, 2009 at 9:44 am

    That’s a horrible steaming pile of pooh; they should allow each item to go individually.

  9. Darryl W. Perry Says:
    February 16th, 2009 at 9:44 am

    PS
    OR are they trying to make sure it fails?