By Barbara Hoberock, Oklahoma Voice
OKLAHOMA CITY – Supporters of an effort to open the state’s primary voting system on Wednesday began gathering signatures.
They have until Jan. 28 to collect 172,993 signatures to get State Question 836 on the ballot.
Supporters are aiming to get the measure on the November 2026 ballot, said A.J. Griffin, a former Republican state senator who is volunteering.
If approved by voters, all candidates for an office would appear on a single primary ballot. Every voter, regardless of party registration, could participate.
The top two finishers, regardless of partisan affiliation, would advance to the general election.
“Today’s launch was the next step in a year-long process to fix our election system in Oklahoma,” said Margaret Kobos, founder of Oklahoma United, a local nonprofit which helped initiate the ballot measure. “Oklahomans are ready for an open primary system where every voter matters and has a voice.”
Critics have said the measure forces political parties to unwillingly associate with political candidates in violation of the First Amendment.
Oklahoma law allows recognized political parties the option to open their primaries to independent voters.
Currently, Democrats have opened their primaries to independent voters, but Republicans and Libertarians have not.
“I really feel like our process isn’t fair to all voters,” Griffin said. “It limits voter participation.”
Oklahoma is 50th in voter turnout, Griffin said.
She said the measure would give everyone access, which is important because some races are decided in closed primaries or runoff primaries and do not involve a general election.
“The general elections across the state of Oklahoma are almost inconsequential in most elections,” she said.
If approved, candidates would have to face all the voters, she said.
Those currently registered as independents are currently blocked from most elections, Griffin said.
She said the effort will be run by volunteers but will have paid petition circulators. The vast majority of funding raised to support the initiative petition is coming from Oklahoma, Griffin said.
A new law, created by Senate Bill 1027, which puts additional restrictions on the initiative petition process, does not apply to State Question 836 following a ruling by the Oklahoma Supreme Court, Griffin said.
Critics of the measure filed an unsuccessful challenge to stop it in the Oklahoma Supreme Court.
