Initiative and referendum; granting certain discretionary power to Legislature; modifying authority to call certain elections; specifying dates for certain special elections. Effective date.

SB 197 modifies Oklahoma's process for handling initiative and referendum votes. It grants the Legislature and Governor the authority to choose whether to hold a special election for these measures or to use a specific scheduled election date (the second Tuesday in November during odd-numbered years, or the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November during even-numbered years). If the Legislature and Governor set conflicting dates, the law specifies the November election dates as the default. This bill directly affects voters participating in initiatives or referendums and election officials managing the timing of these votes. The changes take effect November 1, 2025.