Oklahoma State Question 836 fails to reach required signature threshold

The Oklahoma Secretary of State’s Office announced State Question 836 did not meet the required threshold of 172,993 valid signatures needed to qualify for the ballot.

The Vote Yes 836 campaign submitted more than 200,000 signatures on Jan. 26 after a statewide volunteer effort conducted during winter storms.

After several weeks of review, the Secretary of State’s Office said fewer than the required number were deemed valid, meaning the proposal will not advance to voters unless the campaign successfully challenges the findings.

State Question 836 proposed changing Oklahoma’s primary election system by placing all candidates on a single primary ballot and allowing voters to choose any candidate regardless of party affiliation.

Tony Stobbe, an independent voter, retired U.S. Coast Guard commander and Edmond resident, is one of the State Question 836 citizen petitioners.

“As a veteran, I believe in standing up for the right of every citizen to participate fully in our democracy,” Stobbe said. “This effort started important conversations across our communities about fairness, accountability, and making sure no one is shut out of the process. While we are disappointed with the announcement, this campaign has proven that hundreds of thousands of Oklahomans are looking for elections that permit full participation regardless of partisan identity and provide an opportunity for consensus.”

“Too many voters feel hopeless and disenfranchised by our current election system,” Stobbe said. “Over 500 volunteers collected signatures in winter storms and through the holidays because they believe all Oklahomans deserve a fair primary system that attracts more candidates to run for office, increases voter participation, and strengthens accountability. Their work has already produced a statewide recognition that our primary election system is broken.”

Organizers thanked volunteers and supporters who participated in the petition effort and said they will review available procedures to confirm all lawful signatures were included.

Former Republican state Sen. A.J. Griffin, a State Question 836 advocate, said the citizen petition effort sparked broader discussions about election reform.

“Oklahomans, especially our young people, are ready to lead, not languish, and the voices and needs of all lawfully registered voters should drive policies funded by taxpayers,” Griffin said.

“I view this citizen petition as a great success already: opening the eyes of many thousands of voters about how our election system has brought us disappointing results, and why we have to change it if we want to make the most of our statewide resources and talent. This conversation has made a big impact, and the issue will be made even more real when our closed June primary elections come.”

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