{"data":{"id":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-34-34-8v2","jurisdiction":"us-ok","citation":"Okla. Stat. tit. 34, § 34-8v2","heading":"Filing copy of proposed petition and ballot title -","body":"Publication - Protest - Hearing and determination.\n\nA. When a citizen or citizens desire to circulate a petition\n\ninitiating a proposition of any nature, whether to become a statute\n\nlaw or an amendment to the Oklahoma Constitution, or for the purpose\n\nof invoking a referendum upon legislative enactments, such citizen\n\nor citizens shall, when such petition is prepared, and before the\n\nsame is circulated or signed by electors, file a true and exact copy\n\nof same in the office of the Secretary of State and shall at the\n\nsame time file a separate ballot title, which shall not be part of\n\nor printed on the petition.\n\nB. It shall be the duty of the Secretary of State to cause to\n\nbe published, in at least one newspaper of general circulation in\n\nthe state, a notice of such filing and the apparent sufficiency or\n\ninsufficiency of the petition, and shall include notice that any\n\ncitizen or citizens of the state may file a protest as to the\n\nconstitutionality of the petition, by a written notice to the\n\nSupreme Court and to the proponent or proponents filing the\n\npetition. Any such protest shall be filed within ninety (90) days\n\nafter publication. A copy of the protest shall be filed with the\n\nSecretary of State.\n\nC. Upon the filing of a protest to the petition, the Supreme\n\nCourt shall then fix a day, not less than ten (10) business days\n\nthereafter, at which time it will hear testimony and arguments for\n\nand against the sufficiency of such petition.\n\nD. A protest filed by anyone hereunder may, if abandoned by the\n\nparty filing same, be revived within five (5) business days by any\n\nother citizen. After such hearing the Supreme Court shall decide\n\nwhether such petition is in the form required by the statutes. If\n\nthe Court is at the time adjourned, the Chief Justice shall\n\nimmediately convene the same for such hearing. No objection to the\n\nsufficiency shall be considered unless it has been made and filed as\n\nherein provided.\n\nE. Signature-gathering Deadline for Initiative Petitions. When\n\nan initiative petition has been filed in the office of the Secretary\n\nof State and all appeals, protests, and rehearings have been\n\nresolved or the period for such has expired, the Secretary of State\n\nshall set the date for circulation of signatures for the petition to\n\nbegin but in no event shall the date be less than fifteen (15) days\n\nnor more than thirty (30) days from the date when all appeals,\n\nprotests, and rehearings have been resolved or have expired.\n\nNotification shall be sent to the proponents specifying the date on\n\nwhich circulation of the petition shall begin and that the\n\nsignatures are due within ninety (90) days of the date set. Any\n\nperson who circulates the petition to collect signatures shall be a\n\nregistered voter in this state and shall display a conspicuous\n\nnotice in any location where the person is collecting signatures\n\nwhether the person is being paid to circulate the petition and if\n\nso, by what person or entity. Each elector shall sign his or her\n\nname and legibly print his or her name, birth date, address, and\n\ncounty of residence associated with his or her Oklahoma voter\n\nregistration record. An elector’s signature shall serve as an\n\nattestation that the elector read the gist in full or that the\n\nperson who solicited the elector’s signature read the gist in full\n\nto the elector. The Secretary of State shall establish procedures\n\nby which an elector can request to have his or her signature removed\n\nfrom the petition. Any petition not filed in accordance with this\n\nprovision shall not be considered. The proponents of an initiative\n\npetition, any time before the final submission of signatures, may\n\nwithdraw the initiative petition upon written notification to the\n\nSecretary of State.\n\nF. Signature-gathering Deadline for Referendum Petitions. All\n\nsigned signatures supporting a referendum petition shall be filed\nAny petition not filed in accordance with this\n\nprovision shall not be considered. The proponents of an initiative\n\npetition, any time before the final submission of signatures, may\n\nwithdraw the initiative petition upon written notification to the\n\nSecretary of State.\n\nF. Signature-gathering Deadline for Referendum Petitions. All\n\nsigned signatures supporting a referendum petition shall be filed\n\nwith the Secretary of State not later than ninety (90) days after\n\nthe adjournment of the legislative session in which the measure\n\nwhich is the subject of the referendum petition was enacted.\n\nG. 1. Any person who circulates the petition to collect\n\nsignatures shall disclose to the Secretary of State any employer or\n\nentity that is compensating the person for the circulation of the\n\npetition. No compensation shall be based on number of signatures\n\ncollected, number of signature sheets submitted, or any other\n\nsimilar incentives. No person or entity who does not reside or do\n\nbusiness in this state shall contribute to or compensate a person\n\nfor circulation of a petition. Any person or entity that employs a\n\nperson for circulation of a petition shall follow federal labor\n\nstandards; and\n\n2. Any person or entity expending funds on the circulation of a\n\npetition shall submit a weekly report to the Secretary of State that\n\ndetails such expenditures and that attests that all donated funds\n\nwere received from sources in this state. The Secretary of State\n\nshall publish such reports on the Secretary’s website until the vote\n\non the measure has occurred.\n\nH. 1. The total number of signatures collected to meet the\n\nrequirements for an initiative petition or referendum petition,\n\namending the Oklahoma Statutes, from a single county shall not\n\nexceed eleven and five-tenths percent (11.5%) of the number of votes\n\ncast in that county during the most recent statewide general\n\nelection for Governor. The State Election Board shall determine the\n\nnumber of votes cast in each county; and\n\n2. The total number of signatures collected to meet the\n\nrequirements for an initiative petition or referendum petition,\n\namending the Oklahoma Constitution, from a single county shall not\n\nexceed twenty and eight-tenths percent (20.8%) of the number of\n\nvotes cast in that county during the most recent statewide general\n\nelection for Governor. The State Election Board shall determine the\n\nnumber of votes cast in each county.\n\nI. The proponents of a referendum or an initiative petition may\n\nterminate the circulation period any time during the ninety-day\n\ncirculation period by certifying to the Secretary of State that:\n\n1. All signed petitions have already been filed with the\n\nSecretary of State;\n\n2. No more petitions are in circulation; and\n\n3. The proponents will not circulate any more petitions.\n\nIf the Secretary of State receives such a certification from the\n\nproponents, the Secretary of State shall begin the counting and\n\nreview process.\n\nJ. When the signed copies of a petition pamphlet are timely\n\nfiled, the Secretary of State shall file a copy of the proponent’s\n\nballot title with the Attorney General and, after conducting a count\n\nand review of the filed, signed petition pamphlets, the Secretary of\n\nState shall certify to the Supreme Court of the state:\n\n1. The total number of signatures counted pursuant to\n\nprocedures set forth in this title; and\n\n2. The total number of votes cast for the office of Governor at\n\nthe last general election.\n\nThe Supreme Court shall make the determination of the numerical\n\nsufficiency or insufficiency of the signatures counted and reviewed\n\nby the Secretary of State.\n\nK. Upon order of the Supreme Court it shall be the duty of the\n\nSecretary of State to forthwith cause to be published, in at least\n\none newspaper of general circulation in the state, a notice of the\novernor at\n\nthe last general election.\n\nThe Supreme Court shall make the determination of the numerical\n\nsufficiency or insufficiency of the signatures counted and reviewed\n\nby the Secretary of State.\n\nK. Upon order of the Supreme Court it shall be the duty of the\n\nSecretary of State to forthwith cause to be published, in at least\n\none newspaper of general circulation in the state, a notice of the\n\nfiling of the signed petitions and the apparent sufficiency or\n\ninsufficiency thereof, and shall also publish the text of the ballot\n\ntitle as reviewed and approved or, if applicable, as rewritten by\n\nthe Attorney General pursuant to the provisions of subsection D of\n\nSection 9 of this title and notice that any citizen or citizens of\n\nthe state may file an objection to the count made by the Secretary\n\nof State, by a written notice to the Supreme Court and to the\n\nproponent or proponents filing the petition. Any such objection\n\nshall be filed within ninety (90) days after publication and shall\n\nrelate only to the validity or number of the signatures or a\n\nchallenge to the ballot title. A copy of the objection to the count\n\nor ballot title shall be filed with the Supreme Court, the Attorney\n\nGeneral, and the Secretary of State.\n\nL. Upon appeal and if ordered or directed by the Supreme Court,\n\nthe Secretary of State shall deliver the bound volumes of signatures\n\nto the Supreme Court.\n\nM. Upon the filing of an objection to the signature count or\n\nballot title, the Supreme Court shall resolve the objection with\n\ndispatch. The Supreme Court shall adopt rules to govern proceedings\n\nto apply to the challenge of a measure on the grounds that the\n\nproponents failed to gather sufficient signatures.\n\nN. If in the opinion of the Supreme Court, any objection to the\n\ncount or protest to the petition is frivolous, the Court may impose\n\nappropriate sanctions, including an award of costs and attorney fees\n\nto either party as the Court deems equitable.\n\nO. Whenever reference is made in this act to the Supreme Court,\n\nsuch reference shall include the members of the Supreme Court, or\n\nany officer constitutionally designated to perform the duties herein\n\nprescribed.\n\nR.L. 1910, § 3375. Amended by Laws 1910-11, c. 107, p. 235, § 1,\n\nemerg. eff. March 18, 1911; Laws 1961, p. 265, § 5, emerg. eff. May\n\n17, 1961; Laws 1970, c. 185, §§ 2, 3, emerg. eff. April 13, 1970;","path":["OK Code","Title 34"],"source_url":"https://www.oklegislature.gov/OK_Statutes/CompleteTitles/os34.pdf","current_through":"2026-08-14","vintage":"open-us-law v2026.08, retrieved 2026-09-14","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T18:32:36Z","sha256":"e4e62b236778ed62bbdcdb8c72d5af9728b26a6b5e74a556310e6d51bdb6ffb4","source_id":"us-ok","stale":false,"prev":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-34-34-8v1","next":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-34-34-9"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}