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Oklahoma · Snapshot open-us-law v2026.08, retrieved 2026-09-14

Okla. Stat. tit. 11, § 11-16-311: Petition alleging fraud - Bond - Hearing - Answer -

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Where this section sits in the code
  1. OK Code
  2. Title 11

Judgment - Ineligibility for office - Liability of contestant -

Damages.

When a petition alleging fraud is filed, said petition must be

accompanied by a cash bond of Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00),

running in favor of the contestee and conditioned upon payment of

any and all liabilities or judgments arising from the contest so

filed. In said petition, contestant must allege the specific act

constituting such alleged fraud and the names of the alleged

perpetrators of such fraud. If such petition is filed in the manner

herein provided, the district judge of the county in which the

alleged fraud occurred, or such other judge as may be assigned by

the Supreme Court, shall hear and determine said issue without delay

or continuance of more than one (1) day. On the day of such

hearing, the contestee may file answer to such petition or may file

cross petition, setting forth in detail, as required of a petitioner

herein, such claim of fraud. An original petition or cross petition

must be under oath and under penalty of perjury. The judge shall try

and determine the issues formed by such pleadings and render such

judgment as he or she may deem just and proper, according to the

evidence submitted. The decision of said district judge shall be

final as to any changes in the total votes, and a copy of such

judgment and decision shall be furnished the officer who presided at

the town meeting. In any case where fraud is proved on the part of a

nominee, he or she shall be declared ineligible for the office for

which he or she was nominated. In all cases where a petition is

filed which alleges fraud, but after hearing said allegations are

not reasonably sustained by competent evidence, the contestant shall

be civilly liable in damages to the contestee for all damages

sustained, including a reasonable attorney fee and all reasonable

and proper costs of conducting such contest; and in the event it be

alleged and found that such petition was frivolous in nature, the

contestee may also be allowed punitive damages to be paid by said

petitioner.

Collected 2026-09-14T18:32:36Z. Source file · JSON

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