Absentee ballots; prescribing qualifying justification for absentee ballot applications. Effective date.

SB 1879 limits the reasons voters in Oklahoma can request an absentee ballot to five specific justifications: employment outside their county/state on election day, physical illness/disability preventing in-person voting, caring for someone with such a condition, military service (or qualifying family member), or being a deployed first responder/emergency worker. The bill requires all absentee ballot applications - especially electronic ones - to include matching voter registration details (name, birth date, ID number) and a qualifying justification, with applications lacking these being denied. It also mandates address confirmation for electronic applications by January 1, 2023, and specifies that voter registration details cannot be modified online without following Section 4-109.4. This bill directly affects voters seeking absentee ballots and takes effect November 1, 2026.