State Question 836 Falls Short of Signature Threshold

Oklahoma Secretary of State announces petition drive fails to qualify measure for ballot

Published on Mar. 6, 2026

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The Oklahoma Secretary of State announced on Thursday that the signature count for State Question 836, which aimed to establish an open primary election system in the state, did not meet the required threshold of 172,993 valid signatures to qualify for the ballot. The Vote Yes 836 campaign had submitted over 200,000 signatures in January, but after review, the Secretary of State cited that fewer than the required number were deemed valid.

Why it matters

The failure of State Question 836 to qualify for the ballot is a setback for supporters who believed the measure would increase voter participation and strengthen accountability in Oklahoma's elections by allowing all registered voters, regardless of party affiliation, to participate in primary elections. The decision also highlights the ongoing debate over election reform and the role of partisan primaries in the state's political landscape.

The details

The Secretary of State's announcement comes after weeks of review of the signatures collected by the Vote Yes 836 campaign. The campaign had submitted over 200,000 signatures in January, but the Secretary of State determined that fewer than the required 172,993 valid signatures were collected. The Oklahoma Republican Party had sued to block the measure, arguing it would violate candidates' First Amendment right to associate with a political party.

  • On January 26, the Vote Yes 836 campaign turned in more than 200,000 signatures after its volunteer-driven efforts.
  • In September, the State Supreme Court ruled to allow the petition for State Question 836.
  • Supporters had until the end of January to collect enough signatures to put the measure on the ballot.

The players

Tony Stobbe

An independent-registered voter and retired U.S. Coast Guard Commander, and one of the SQ 836 citizen petitioners.

A.J. Griffin

A former Republican State Senator and State Question 836 advocate.

Kerri Keck

A Democrat and Oklahoma National Guard veteran who volunteered to collect signatures for the SQ 836 petition.

Oklahoma Republican Party

Sued to block the measure, arguing it would violate candidates' First Amendment right to associate with a political party.

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What they’re saying

“As a veteran, I believe in standing up for the right of every citizen to participate fully in our democracy. This effort started important conversations across our communities about fairness, accountability, and making sure no one is shut out of the process.”

— Tony Stobbe, Retired U.S. Coast Guard Commander and SQ 836 citizen petitioner

“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. 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.”

— A.J. Griffin, Former Republican State Senator and SQ 836 advocate

“We met thousands of voters who are tired of status quo and want a greater voice in choosing their leaders. Even though this measure will not appear on the ballot this year, the level of support we saw shows that hundreds of thousands of Oklahomans are ready to rethink how we run our elections.”

— Kerri Keck, Democrat and Oklahoma National Guard veteran

What’s next

The Oklahoma Republican Party's lawsuit challenging the measure is still ongoing, and the issue of election reform in the state is likely to remain a topic of debate and discussion.

The takeaway

The failure of State Question 836 to qualify for the ballot highlights the ongoing challenges and debates around election reform in Oklahoma. While supporters were disappointed, the campaign has sparked important conversations about fairness, accountability, and increasing voter participation in the state's elections.