State Question 836 Disqualified for Ballot

Quick recap of SQ 836

• It aimed to replace Oklahoma's closed partisan primaries (where only voters registered with a party can vote in that party's primary) with a top-two "jungle" primary system.

• All candidates (regardless of party) would appear on one primary ballot.

• Any registered voter could participate.

• The top two vote-getters (even if from the same party) would advance to the general election.

• Supporters argued it would give independents (nearly 500,000 in OK) more say and reduce extremism by forcing candidates to appeal to a broader electorate.

• Opponents said it could lead to "California-style" elections, weaken party control, potentially eliminate viable conservative choices in deep-red districts, and undermine party associational rights. Read more here

VoteNo836.com

What went down with signatures

• The campaign (Vote Yes 836) needed 172,993 valid signatures from registered voters to qualify for the November 2026 ballot.

• They turned in over 200,000 raw signatures in late January 2026

• The Secretary of State's office then verified the signatures (checking for duplicates, invalid registrations, improper formatting, etc.).

• Final certified count: Only 142,567 valid signatures — falling short by about 30,000+.

Because it didn't hit the threshold, the measure was officially deemed non-qualifying and won't appear on the 2026 ballot (as confirmed by sources like Ballotpedia, which lists its status as "Not on the ballot").

Why this is a win for Oklahomans

• It preserves the current system where parties control their own nomination processes and primary elections.

• No risk of same-party runoffs in generals or independents "crossing over" in ways that could shift outcomes.

• Avoids a major structural change that many saw as risky or unnecessary.