SB 652: Administration of elections; modifying permissible dates for certain elections; authorizing special elections called for certain purposes to be held on certain dates. Effective date. - Oklahoma

Floor (House) → Floor (Senate) · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was converted from the House version to the Senate floor version, resulting in significant substantive changes to election scheduling and filing deadlines. The most critical change is the addition of a new Section 1, Subsection C, which establishes a specific election date for municipalities with populations over 250,000. Additionally, the bill now explicitly modifies the deadline for certain filing periods and clarifies rules for special elections called by the Governor.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded to include a specific provision for large municipalities (over 250,000 residents) to hold elections on a designated date, and it added explicit language regarding the modification of filing deadlines.

REQUIREMENT

Added a new requirement allowing municipalities with a population exceeding 250,000 to hold elections on the second Tuesday of December in odd-numbered years.

Revised the rules for special elections called by the Governor to include specific dates in odd-numbered years (May, July, September, October) and added December as a general option.

Adjusted the candidate filing period for special elections filling vacancies to begin no later than ten days after the resolution deadline, reducing the window from the previous twenty days.

TIMELINE

Added explicit language to the summary stating the bill modifies the deadline for certain filing periods.

SB652 (3-24-25) (PAXTON) FS FA2.PDF → Floor (House) · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was converted from a Senate substitute version to a House Floor version, incorporating amendments by the House Committee. The most significant substantive change is the addition of a recurring four-year cycle for special election dates starting in December 2025, replacing a one-time provision. Minor formatting adjustments were made to align the text with House standards.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on election scheduling, but the applicability of new special election dates has been extended to occur every four years beginning in 2025.

TIMELINE

Added a provision establishing a recurring four-year cycle for special elections starting in December 2025, ensuring these dates repeat every four years thereafter.

TECHNICAL

Changed the document header from 'Floor Substitute' to 'Committee Substitute' and updated the byline to reflect House Floor amendments.

Adjusted page footers and headers to reflect the House Floor version format, including the addition of a note indicating that bold face text denotes committee amendments.

SB652 (3-18-25) (PAXTON) FS WDFA1.PDF → SB652 (3-24-25) (PAXTON) FS FA2.PDF · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was amended to remove a specific deadline for candidate filing periods, likely to streamline the process or align with other statutes. Additionally, the effective date for the new filing period rules was delayed from November 1, 2025, to January 1, 2026, providing an extra year for local election boards to prepare. The bill's reference number was also updated from 1882 to 1890, reflecting its new statutory location.

Scope change

The scope of the new filing period rules was narrowed by removing a specific deadline constraint, and the applicability timeline was extended by one year.

REQUIREMENT

Deleted a specific deadline requiring candidate filing periods to begin within 20 days of the election resolution, removing a potential constraint on how quickly elections can be organized.

TIMELINE

Changed the effective date for the new filing period provisions from November 1, 2025, to January 1, 2026, delaying implementation by approximately two months.

TECHNICAL

Updated the bill's reference number from 1882 to 1890 to reflect its new position in the state code.

SB652 (3-18-25) (PAXTON) FS FA1.PDF → SB652 (3-18-25) (PAXTON) FS WDFA1.PDF · 1 edit

MINOR

The only change between these two versions of the bill is a technical update to the document's metadata, specifically the timestamp and filename. No substantive policy, legal, or procedural text within the bill itself was altered.

TECHNICAL

The document header timestamp was updated from March 18, 2025, to March 24, 2025, indicating a revision to the file version.

Committee Substitute → SB652 (3-18-25) (PAXTON) FS FA1.PDF · 2 edits

MINOR

The bill was reclassified from a 'Committee Substitute' to a 'Floor Substitute' and renumbered from Req. No. 1696 to Req. No. 1882, indicating it has advanced to the final stage of legislative consideration. The substantive text regarding election scheduling dates and filing deadlines remains unchanged, with no new policy, funding, or eligibility criteria added or removed.

Scope change

The bill's scope and applicability remain unchanged; the modifications are strictly procedural regarding the bill's version status and page numbering.

TECHNICAL

The bill title changed from 'Committee Substitute' to 'Floor Substitute', signifying it has passed committee review and is ready for floor debate.

The bill's internal reference number was updated from 'Req. No. 1696' to 'Req. No. 1882' to reflect its new position in the legislative record.

House Committee Substitute for Senate Bill → Committee Substitute · 4 edits

MODERATE

This bill amends election scheduling laws to clarify when special elections can be held and to update the list of permissible dates for various election types. It modifies the rules for when the Governor can call special elections and adjusts filing deadlines for municipalities and school districts. The changes aim to provide clearer guidance on election timing while maintaining flexibility for filling vacancies.

Scope change

The bill expands the list of permissible dates for special elections called by the Governor and clarifies the rules for holding elections on the same date as federal or state elections. It also updates the effective date for these provisions.

TIMELINE

Updated the list of permissible dates for special elections called by the Governor to include specific Tuesdays in odd-numbered years for filling vacancies.

Updated the effective date of the act to November 1, 2025, and specified that provisions apply to elections held after January 1, 2026.

REQUIREMENT

Adjusted the deadline for filing resolutions calling for elections to be conducted by a county election board on the same date as a federal or state election.

Changed the candidate filing period for special elections filling vacancies to begin no later than ten days following the date the resolution is filed.

Enrolled (final version) → House Committee Substitute for Senate Bill · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was reformatted from an enrolled Senate version to a House Committee Substitute, which involved renumbering sections and adding committee tracking numbers. The core policy regarding election scheduling dates and the effective date of January 1, 2026, remained unchanged. The primary differences are structural formatting updates rather than substantive policy changes.

Scope change

The scope of the bill remains the same; no new entities or jurisdictions were added or removed.

TECHNICAL

The document structure was updated to include House Committee Substitute headers, page numbers, and internal reference numbers (e.g., Req. No. 13568) that were not present in the original enrolled version.

Line numbers and section numbering were reorganized to reflect the House Committee Substitute format, though the underlying legal text regarding election dates was preserved.

The 'ENROLLED SENATE' header and specific Senate passage dates were removed as the bill moved to the House substitute stage.

Engrossed → Enrolled (final version) · 1 edit · May 27, 2025

MINOR

The bill was finalized and enrolled, changing the status from 'Engrossed' to 'Enrolled' and adding the Governor's signature block. The substantive text of the election scheduling laws remains identical to the previous version, with no changes to the specific dates, eligibility rules, or effective dates.

TECHNICAL

Updated the document header from 'ENGROSSED SENATE' to 'ENROLLED SENATE' and added the signature lines for the Governor and Secretary of State, indicating the bill has been signed into law.

Amended And Engrossed → Engrossed · 3 edits · May 15, 2025

MINOR

The bill was renumbered from an 'Engrossed House Amendment' to the primary 'Engrossed Senate Bill' and underwent significant text formatting adjustments. The substantive policy content, including election dates, filing deadlines, and effective dates, remains unchanged.

Scope change

The bill's scope and applicability are unchanged; the modifications are purely structural and formatting.

TECHNICAL

The document header was changed from 'Engrossed House Amendment' to 'Engrossed Senate Bill', indicating the bill is now in its final form for the Senate rather than being a House amendment.

Line breaks and indentation were adjusted throughout the text, likely to correct formatting errors from the previous amendment version.

Page numbers and footer text were updated to reflect the new bill numbering sequence.

Introduced → Amended And Engrossed · 5 edits · May 15, 2025

MODERATE

The bill was amended to significantly expand the dates on which special elections can be held by the Governor and to clarify filing deadlines for local elections. The original version limited special elections to a specific list of dates in odd-numbered years, while the new version adds specific dates for January, March, May, July, September, October, and December, as well as allowing elections on the same day as federal or state elections. Additionally, the amendment clarifies that municipalities with populations over 250,000 may hold elections on the second Tuesday of December in odd-numbered years and establishes a 75-day advance filing requirement for local elections coinciding with state or federal elections.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded from a limited set of special election dates to a broader range of permissible dates, including specific months in both odd and even years, and explicitly allowing special elections to coincide with state or federal elections.

TIMELINE

The list of permissible dates for Governor-called special elections was expanded to include January, March, May, July, September, October, and December, in addition to the original February, June, and November dates.

The effective date of the act was set to November 1, 2025, with provisions applying to elections held after January 1, 2026.

The original restriction limiting special elections to only odd-numbered years was removed, allowing for special elections in even-numbered years as well.

ELIGIBILITY

A new provision allows municipalities with populations exceeding 250,000 to hold special elections on the second Tuesday of December in odd-numbered years.

REQUIREMENT

A requirement was added for municipalities, school districts, and other entities to file election resolutions at least 75 days prior to the election date if the election coincides with a state or federal election.

Administration of elections; modifying permissible dates for certain elections; authorizing special elections called for certain purposes to be held on certain dates. Effective date.

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