Bill > SB962

This bill modifies Oklahoma's election laws, primarily focusing on recount and petition procedures, with several key changes. For recounts of candidate elections, the bill increases the required deposit amounts: for manual recounts, the fee rises from $600 to $1,000 per 3,000 ballots, and for electronic recounts, the first 3,000 ballots will cost $800 instead of $600, with subsequent ballots costing $500 per 5,000 instead of $300. The bill introduces an additional "frivolous recount" deposit when the margin between first and second place candidates is 10% or greater. For issue or question elections, the recount authorization thresholds remain unchanged, but the bill adds more specific requirements for filing petitions, including a mandate that petitions must detail actual irregularities rather than speculative claims. In cases where a petition is deemed frivolous, the bill now requires the petitioner to reimburse court costs and pay attorney fees. The bill also makes language gender-neutral by replacing gendered pronouns with "his or her" and updates some statutory terminology. These changes aim to provide more clarity and discourage potentially unnecessary or speculative election challenges while ensuring more precise recount procedures.

Justice

http://www.oklegislature.gov/BillInfo.aspx?Bill=sb962&Session=2600