An act relating to recall elections, the official text

1                           STATE OF OKLAHOMA

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2                 1st Session of the 60th Legislature (2025)

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3 SENATE BILL 990           By: Coleman
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6                           AS INTRODUCED

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7        An Act relating to recall elections; stating

7        authorization of recall election for certain state

8        officers; authorizing Legislature to propose recall

8        of state officer; establishing procedures for

9        legislative approval for recall election; providing

9        certain exemption from deadlines; prohibiting certain

10       gubernatorial action; providing procedures for recall

10       election; providing ballot procedures; providing

11       method of filling vacancies; specifying election

11       contest and recount process; providing for

12       codification; and providing an effective date.

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14 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
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15  SECTION 1.     NEW LAW  A new section of law to be codified

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16 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 106 of Title 51, unless there is
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17 created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
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18  Pursuant to the authorization provided in Section 2 of Article

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19 VIII of the Oklahoma Constitution, all statewide elected officers
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20 not subject to impeachment pursuant to the provisions of Section 1
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21 of Article VIII of the Oklahoma Constitution, shall be subject to
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22 removal from office through a recall election as provided in this
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23 act.
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    Req. No. 364                                              Page 1
1      SECTION 2.    NEW LAW  A new section of law to be codified

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2 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 107 of Title 51, unless there is
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3 created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
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4      A. The Legislature may initiate the recall election procedure

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5 of a statewide elected officer as provided in Section 1 of this act
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6 by:
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7      1. Introducing a joint resolution by either the President Pro

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8 Tempore of the Senate or the Speaker of the House of Representatives
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9 stating the purpose and the reason or reasons for removal;
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10     2. Providing a provision in the joint resolution stating a date

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11 certain for an election by the citizens of this state to be
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12 conducted for the purpose of the recall of the statewide elected
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13 officer;
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14     3. Obtaining approval of the joint resolution by the

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15 Legislature; and
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16     4. After approval by the Legislature, filing the joint

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17 resolution with the Secretary of State.
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18     B. A joint resolution filed for the purposes of this act shall

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19 not be subject to regular legislative cutoff dates and shall only
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20 contain the subject of one statewide elected office. The joint
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21 resolution for this purpose shall not be subject to a gubernatorial
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22 veto.
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23     C. The Secretary of the State Election Board shall cause

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24 ballots to be printed for statewide recall of the statewide elected
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    Req. No. 364                                                Page 2
1 officer at such time as to ensure delivery of the ballots to county
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2 election boards for distribution to the several precinct election
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3 boards prior to election day. The election shall be conducted in a
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4 manner consistent with the laws on the conduct of elections. A
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5 resignation of an officer subject to a recall election prior to the
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6 election date specified shall end the process of conducting an
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7 election.
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8   D. The question to be posed on the ballot is whether the

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9 statewide elected official as named shall be removed from the
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10 position. The removal of the statewide elected officer shall take
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11 effect and be in force upon the approval by a majority of the votes
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12 cast on the issue as certified by the State Election Board.
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13  A statewide elected officer removed from office pursuant to the

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14 recall election provided by this act shall create a vacancy. The
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15 vacancy of the statewide elected officer shall be filled by an
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16 appointment made by the Governor for the remainder of the term.
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17  E. The filing of a contest or petition for recount shall be

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18 conducted in the same manner as provided by law.
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19  SECTION 3. This act shall become effective November 1, 2025.

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21  60-1-364      TEK  1/19/2025 5:47:21 AM

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    Req. No. 364                                                Page 3