Oklahomans for Ballot Access Reform (OBAR) is a coalition of third parties and registered Independents seeking to change the state’s extremely restrictive laws. Today they announced the launch of a new petition drive to put a question on the ballot in 2008.
This initiative would return the number of signatures for recognition of political party back to 5,000; the number required in Oklahoma from 1924 until 1974. This would make Oklahoma the 30th state to require 5,000 or fewer signatures for a new political party or independent presidential candidate.
The initiative would also make the requirements more reasonable for a party to demonstrate support and stay on the ballot. Current law requires that a party’s presidential or gubernatorial candidate receive 10% of the vote to maintain party status. The initiative would lower the vote requirement to 1% and apply it to all statewide races.
90,000 signatures are required — and they must be collected in just three months. If you support this effort, please add your name, and ask your family and friends to join you. If you can afford to make a financial contribution, it will help the campaign a lot.
I’ll post more on this later, when I have some more specifics, and have a petition in hand. Once I do, I’ll be bugging everyone I know to sign.