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1 STATE OF OKLAHOMA
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2 1st Session of the 60th Legislature (2025)
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3 SENATE BILL 656 By: Paxton
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6 AS INTRODUCED
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7 An Act relating to the State Election Board; amending
7 26 O.S. 2021, Sections 2-101, 2-101.1, 2-101.2, 2-
8 101.3, 2-101.6, and 2-101.7, which relate to the
8 number of members, appointment of members, filling of
9 vacancies, salary of the Secretary of the State
9 Election Board, and terms of officers; modifying
10 appointment of members; directing membership
10 appointments; requiring certain notarized lists be
11 provided; defining term; providing timeline of
11 appointments; authorizing removal procedures;
12 directing manner to fill vacancies; clarifying
12 language; establishing salary guidelines for the
13 Secretary; setting certain date for meeting;
13 providing for procedures in the case of a vacancy for
14 the Secretary; updating statutory language; repealing
14 26 O.S. 2021, Section 2-101.5, which relates to chair
15 and vice chair members; providing for codification;
15 and providing an effective date.
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18 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
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19 SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 26 O.S. 2021, Section 2-101, is
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20 amended to read as follows:
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21 Section 2-101. The State Election Board shall be composed of
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22 three (3) members and two (2) alternate five (5) members, each of
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23 whom shall be appointed by the Governor upon advice and consent of
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24 the Senate. An alternate shall serve on the State Election Board at
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1 any meeting that a member for whom the person is an alternate is
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2 unable to attend pursuant to the provisions of Section 2-101.1 of
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3 this title.
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4 SECTION 2. AMENDATORY 26 O.S. 2021, Section 2-101.1, is
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5 amended to read as follows:
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6 Section 2-101.1. A. The State Election Board shall consist of
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7 the following members:
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8 1. The chair, who shall be appointed by the Speaker of the
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9 House of Representatives;
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10 2. The Secretary of the State Election Board, who shall be
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11 appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate;
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12 3. One member, who shall be appointed by the Governor, pursuant
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13 to the provisions of subsection B of this section, who is a
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14 registered voter of the recognized political party with the largest
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15 number of registered voters in the state, based on the latest
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16 January 15 voter registration report, subject to the advice and
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17 consent of the Senate;
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18 4. One member, who shall be appointed by the Governor, pursuant
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19 to the provisions of subsection B of this section, who is a
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20 registered voter of the recognized political party with the second
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21 largest number of registered voters in the state, based on the
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22 latest January 15 voter registration report, subject to the advice
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23 and consent of the Senate; and
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1 5. One member, who shall be appointed by the Governor, pursuant
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2 to the provisions of subsection B of this section, who is a
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3 registered voter, but is not a registered voter of the largest or
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4 second largest recognized political party, subject to the advice and
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5 consent of the Senate.
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6 Pursuant to the provisions of Section 2 of Article III of the
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7 Oklahoma Constitution, not more than a majority of the members of
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8 the State Election Board shall be from the same political party.
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9 B. 1. No later than March 1, 2015 January 31, 2027, and every
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10 four (4) years thereafter, the state central committee of the
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11 recognized political party parties having the largest and second
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12 largest number of registered voters, based upon the latest January
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13 15 registration report, shall submit to the Governor a list of ten
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14 (10) nominees for membership on the State Election Board, and the
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15 state central committee of the political party having the second
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16 largest number of registered voters, based upon the latest January
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17 15 registration report, shall submit to the Governor a list of ten
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18 (10) nominees for membership on the State Election Board. The list
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19 of nominees shall be signed by a majority of the members of the
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20 state central committee, whose signatures shall be notarized by a
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21 notary public.
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22 2. The Governor shall be confined to the lists of names
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23 submitted by each party and shall appoint two (2) members and one
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24 (1) alternate member of the State Election Board from one political
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1 party and one (1) member and one (1) alternate member of the State
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2 Election Board from the other each political party from the lists
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3 provided.
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4 3. For the purposes of this title, a political party's state
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5 central committee shall consist of the party's chair, vice chair,
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6 national committeeman and national committeewoman, or the equivalent
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7 position under the party's rules.
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8 4. Appointments shall be made by the Governor and submitted to
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9 the Senate no later than March 15, 2015 March 1, 2027, and every
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10 four (4) years thereafter. Provided, for appointments to be made in
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11 2011, such submissions shall be provided to the Governor within five
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12 (5) business days of the effective date of this act and such
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13 appointments shall be made by the Governor within ten (10) business
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14 days of the effective date of this act. Appointments shall be made
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15 by the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President Pro
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16 Tempore of the Senate no later than June 1, 2027, and every four (4)
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17 years thereafter.
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18 C. 1. The terms of the State Election Board members appointed
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19 in the manner described in this section shall begin on July 1, 2027,
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20 and shall be for a period of four (4) years. Provided, a member
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21 whose term has expired shall continue to serve until a successor is
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22 lawfully appointed and confirmed, if applicable.
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23 2. A member of the State Election Board may be removed by the
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24 appointing authority at any time, upon the concurrence, by
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1 resolution, or by a majority of the members of both the House of
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2 Representatives and the Senate.
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3 SECTION 3. AMENDATORY 26 O.S. 2021, Section 2-101.2, is
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4 amended to read as follows:
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5 Section 2-101.2. In the event of a vacancy created by death,
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6 removal, or resignation, the Governor shall, within thirty (30) days
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7 after such vacancy occurs, appoint, upon the advice and consent of
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8 the Senate, a member of the same party to fill the unexpired term
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9 from a list of five (5) nominees submitted by the party's state
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10 central committee within fifteen (15) days after said vacancy occurs
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11 of a State Election Board member, the vacancy shall be filled in the
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12 same manner as the member was appointed.
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13 SECTION 4. AMENDATORY 26 O.S. 2021, Section 2-101.3, is
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14 amended to read as follows:
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15 Section 2-101.3. Should a state central committee fail to
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16 submit nominees in the manner and within the period prescribed, the
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17 Governor shall make his the appointment from within the ranks of
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18 said the party.
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19 SECTION 5. AMENDATORY 26 O.S. 2021, Section 2-101.6, is
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20 amended to read as follows:
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21 Section 2-101.6. The Secretary of the Senate shall serve as
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22 Secretary of the State Election Board shall serve at a salary equal
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23 to the salary established by law for the Executive Director of the
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24 Ethics Commission, unless otherwise established annually by the
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1 Legislature. However, the Secretary shall not be a member of the
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2 State Election Board.
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3 SECTION 6. AMENDATORY 26 O.S. 2021, Section 2-101.7, is
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4 amended to read as follows:
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5 Section 2-101.7. On the first Monday in April, 1983 No later
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6 than July 15, 2027, and every four (4) years thereafter, the State
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7 Election Board shall meet upon the call of the Secretary of the
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8 State Election Board to seat newly appointed board members and to
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9 elect a Chairman and Vice Chairman vice chair. Terms of the
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10 Chairman, Vice Chairman and member shall begin at that time.
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11 SECTION 7. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
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12 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 2-132.1 of Title 26, unless
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13 there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
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14 In the event of a vacancy in the office of the Secretary of the
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15 State Election Board, the Assistant Secretary of the State Election
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16 Board shall serve as Acting Secretary and shall perform the duties
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17 of the Secretary until the vacancy is filled in the manner provided
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18 by law.
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19 SECTION 8. REPEALER 26 O.S. 2021, Section 2-101.5, is
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20 hereby repealed.
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21 SECTION 9. This act shall become effective November 1, 2025.
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23 60-1-301 BG 1/19/2025 5:40:49 AM
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Req. No. 301 Page 6Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.