HB 1865: Elections; directing for ballots to be printed in advance of election; hours for voting; clarifying applicability to county election board; directing voter appear at assigned polling place; prohibiting voting centers; effective date; emergency. - Oklahoma

Floor (House) → Floor (Senate) · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to remove provisions allowing tribal court felons to have their voter registrations cancelled and to eliminate the ban on vote centers, while adding an emergency declaration to expedite its effective date. These changes significantly alter the bill's impact on voter eligibility and voting location options.

Scope change

The bill's scope was narrowed by removing tribal court felony registration cancellation provisions and expanded by allowing vote centers as an alternative to traditional polling places.

ELIGIBILITY

Removed provisions allowing the Secretary of State to cancel voter registrations of persons convicted of felonies in tribal courts based on notices from tribal court clerks.

REQUIREMENT

Eliminated the prohibition on using vote centers for election day voting, which previously required voters to appear at their assigned precinct polling place.

TIMELINE

Added an emergency declaration stating the act shall take effect immediately upon passage and approval, rather than waiting until July 1, 2025.

DEFINITION

Added a definition for 'vote center' as a location where any voter in the jurisdiction can vote regardless of precinct assignment, with emergency exceptions allowed.

SCOPE

Added a committee report section with a new effective date provision and emergency declaration language.

House Committee Substitute → Floor (House) · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was reformatted from a House Committee Substitute version to a Floor version for the Oklahoma House of Representatives. The substantive legislative content remains identical, with only formatting adjustments including page headers, line numbering, and spacing changes to prepare it for floor consideration.

Scope change

No substantive scope or applicability changes; only formatting and presentation updates

TECHNICAL

Page headers changed from 'COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE' to 'HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES - FLOOR VERSION' with updated page numbering and formatting

Line numbers and spacing adjusted throughout the document to match floor version formatting standards

Added 'BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments' note to indicate which provisions were amended by the committee

Minor spacing and indentation adjustments in the bill text to improve readability

Proposed Policy Committee Substitute 1 → House Committee Substitute · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to remove the 'Proposed Policy Committee' designation and restructure the text, while adding new provisions allowing emergency exceptions to the ban on vote centers and clarifying that subprecincts remain permitted despite vote center restrictions. These changes expand flexibility for election boards during emergencies and clarify existing rules about polling place assignments.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on election administration, but the amendment adds emergency exceptions to vote center prohibitions and clarifies subprecinct usage rules.

TECHNICAL

Removed 'Proposed Policy Committee' designation and renumbered sections to conform to House Committee Substitute format.

REQUIREMENT

Added provision allowing Secretary of State Election Board to authorize vote center exceptions during emergencies affecting specific precincts.

Reorganized vote center prohibition section to include new subsections on emergency exceptions and subprecinct clarifications.

DEFINITION

Clarified that subprecincts are not prohibited and precinct officials may serve multiple precincts if they share the same polling place.

Enrolled (final version) → Proposed Policy Committee Substitute 1 · 6 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to add provisions allowing the Secretary of the State Election Board to cancel voter registrations of persons convicted of felonies in federal district courts and tribal courts based on written notice from US Attorneys and tribal court clerks. The original bill focused only on election logistics like ballot printing and polling hours. This amendment significantly expands the bill's scope to include voter registration cancellation procedures.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded from election administration logistics to include voter registration cancellation for convicted felons from federal and tribal courts.

ELIGIBILITY

New provisions allowing cancellation of voter registration for persons convicted of felonies in US federal district courts based on written notice from US Attorneys

New provisions allowing cancellation of voter registration for persons convicted of felonies in tribal courts based on written notice from tribal court clerks

REQUIREMENT

Requirement for county court clerks to prepare monthly lists of felony convictions and transmit them to county election boards for voter registration cancellation

ENFORCEMENT

Immunity from civil liability for election officials who cancel registrations based on felony conviction information, provided reasonable effort was made to match information accurately

SCOPE

Original bill title and description were replaced with new language reflecting the expanded scope to include felon registration cancellation

TECHNICAL

Original bill text regarding ballot printing procedures and polling hours was replaced with new felony registration cancellation provisions

Engrossed → Enrolled (final version) · 7 edits · May 27, 2025

MODERATE

The bill was finalized and enacted into law with substantive changes to voter registration cancellation procedures and election administration rules. The enrolled version clarifies that tribal court felony convictions trigger voter registration cancellation, adds protections for officials from civil liability when processing conviction notices, and includes new provisions about ballot printing and voting center restrictions. The effective date was set to July 1, 2025, with an emergency declaration allowing immediate implementation.

Scope change

The bill now explicitly includes tribal court felony convictions in the voter registration cancellation process, expanding the scope beyond just state and federal court convictions. The civil liability protection for election officials was also added as a new provision.

ELIGIBILITY

Added provision allowing voter registration cancellation based on felony convictions from tribal courts, requiring tribal court clerks to notify the State Election Board.

ENFORCEMENT

Added civil liability protection for election board officials and employees when taking action based on felony conviction notices from US Attorneys or county court clerks.

REQUIREMENT

Added requirement that ballots for each election day precinct must be printed in advance of the election, with limited exceptions for shortages or emergencies.

Added prohibition on using vote centers for election day voting, with limited emergency exceptions that must be restricted to directly impacted precincts.

Added provision allowing subprecincts and precinct officials serving multiple precincts when authorized by law and sharing the same polling place.

TIMELINE

Set the effective date of the act to July 1, 2025.

TECHNICAL

Changed document header from 'ENGROSSED HOUSE' to 'ENROLLED HOUSE' indicating final legislative approval.

Amended And Engrossed → Engrossed · 4 edits · May 7, 2025

MODERATE

The amendment clarifies ballot printing procedures by allowing emergency printing on election day, explicitly permits printing ballots for voters with disabilities, and adds new provisions about voting hours and locations. These changes expand flexibility for election administrators while maintaining protections for voters with disabilities.

Scope change

The bill now explicitly addresses emergency ballot printing scenarios and clarifies that subprecincts are permitted despite restrictions on vote centers.

REQUIREMENT

Added provision allowing the Secretary of the State Election Board to authorize printing additional ballots on election day during emergencies or unforeseen circumstances.

Modified voting location requirements to clarify that voters must appear at their assigned polling place and that vote centers are generally prohibited, with limited emergency exceptions.

Added clarification that subprecincts are not prohibited and may be used when precincts share the same polling place.

DEFINITION

Added explicit exception allowing ballot printing and marking for voters with blindness, disability, or inability to read or write.

Introduced → Amended And Engrossed · 6 edits · May 7, 2025

MODERATE

The bill was amended to add provisions allowing the State Election Board to cancel voter registrations of individuals convicted of felonies in tribal courts and federal district courts, in addition to existing provisions for state court convictions. The amendment also reorganized the bill's structure and updated the title to reflect these new eligibility criteria.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded from only addressing state court felony convictions to also include tribal court and federal district court felony convictions for voter registration cancellation purposes.

ELIGIBILITY

Added authority for the Secretary of State Election Board to cancel voter registrations of persons convicted of felonies in tribal courts of federally recognized tribes.

Added authority for the Secretary of State Election Board to cancel voter registrations of persons convicted of felonies in United States district courts.

REQUIREMENT

Added requirement for tribal court clerks to provide written notice to the Secretary of State Election Board regarding tribal court felony convictions.

Added requirement for county court clerks to prepare monthly lists of felony convictions and transmit them to county election boards.

ENFORCEMENT

Added immunity from civil liability for election officials who cancel registrations based on felony conviction information from federal or tribal courts, provided reasonable effort was made to match information accurately.

TECHNICAL

Reorganized bill structure and updated title to reflect expanded scope covering tribal and federal court convictions.

Elections; directing for ballots to be printed in advance of election; hours for voting; clarifying applicability to county election board; directing voter appear at assigned polling place; prohibiting voting centers; effective date; emergency.

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