Watered-Down Ballot Access Reform Bill Advances in Oklahoma
February 26th, 2009On February 26, the Oklahoma House Rules Committee passed HB 1072 by a vote of 10-2. The bill, as originally introduced, lowered the number of signatures for a previously unqualified party from 5% of the last vote cast, to 5,000. As amended, the bill keeps the 5% requirement, but bases it on the last gubernatorial vote. Thus, there would be no change in the law in presidential election years. However, in midterm years, the requirement would be just as low as it is already in presidential years. In 2010 the requirement would drop from approximately 73,000 signatures to approximately 46,000.
Although this bill may seem woefully inadequate for solving Oklahoma’s ballot access problems, it is encouraging that a bill making some improvement did make some headway. Ever since the legislature in 1974 replaced the old 5,000-signature petition with a 5% petition, Oklahoma has never voluntarily eased ballot access unless a court ruling forced a change (for example, in 1984 a court invalidated the 90-day period for completing that petition, so the legislature expanded it to one year). If this bill passes, it will be historic.
February 26th, 2009 at 8:29 pm
Will Rogers said, a long time ago, that Oklahomans would vote dry just as long as they could stagger to the polls.
Today it looks as if the Okie legislators will vote against the 21st century just as long as they can stagger to their desks.
February 26th, 2009 at 9:19 pm
Maybe we will get lucky and God will judge Oklahoma, sending tornadoes to wipe out this horrid little backwater.
I hope that the Barr lawsuit solves the Presidential problem that the legislature won’t. If it doesn’t, I say people should march on the capital and throw the S.O.B.s out physically.
February 28th, 2009 at 8:00 am
Some progress is, probably, better then none at all. From my own experience I know how difficult and utterly frustrating it (lobbying/community organizing) can really be, especially when it comes to various nominating/ballot access rules.
Does the State have an I&R process which might allow for a reform bill to be voted on directly? Also, has their ever been any sort of professional poll taken on what most voters feel about ballot access rules in this or other State?
February 28th, 2009 at 10:29 am
I have faith, Oklahoma will see the light. Once upon a time we have heard that a Republican will never be elected; liquor by the drink won’t happen; never horse racing nor lottery but all changed. We can dance in Elmore City (based on movie “Footloose”). We have term limits; we are replacing the old folks and I think many of the young ones will hear our call.
But we may need lots of help. We need National and International press.
February 28th, 2009 at 2:31 pm
“Does the State have an I&R process which might allow for a reform bill to be voted on directly? Also, has their ever been any sort of professional poll taken on what most voters feel about ballot access rules in this or other State?”
Oklahoma does have an initiative & referendum process, and there was an attempt in the fall of 2007 to put an initiative on the ballot to reduce the signature requirement for minor party and independent candidates, but the initiative failed to gather enough signatures during the allotted time from for the circulation of initiative petitions and therefore did not make it on the ballot. The initiative was backed by the Libertarian Party, the Constitution Party, and the Green Party (the Libertarian Party contributed the most money). The main reason that the initiative failed to qualify for the ballot is because they could not hire enough petitioners who were willing to go out and gather the signatures, which was mostly due to Oklahoma’s ban on out-of-state petition circulators which has since been thrown out in court.
March 1st, 2009 at 6:41 am
Well, maybe a second petitoning (in light of the removal of the ban on out of state) drive for a ballot measure on ballot access will be more successful.