Oklahoma 2025 Regular Session

Oklahoma House Bill HB1865 Compare Versions

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Version 2 (New)

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3		-	SENATE FLOOR VERSION - HB1865 SFLR Page 1
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	3	+	ENGR. H. B. NO. 1865 Page 1 1
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29		-	SENATE FLOOR VERSION
30		-	April 22, 2025
31		-	AS AMENDED
32		-
33	28		ENGROSSED HOUSE
34	29		BILL NO. 1865 By: Roberts of the House
35	30
36	31		and
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38	33		Bergstrom of the Senate
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43		-	An Act relating to elections; amending Section 1,
44		-	Chapter 291, O.S.L. 2022 (26 O.S. Supp. 2024, Section
45		-	6-104.1), which relates to paper ballots; directing
46		-	for ballots to be printed in advance of election;
	38	+
	39	+
	40	+	An Act relating to elections; amending 26 O.S. 2021,
	41	+	Section 4-120.4, which relates to convicted felons
	42	+	and cancellation of voter registration; directing the
	43	+	Secretary of the State Election Board to accept
	44	+	notice from tribal court clerk; directing the
	45	+	Secretary to cancel voter registration of persons
	46	+	convicted of felonies in a tribal court; directing
	47	+	the Secretary to notify appropriate county election
	48	+	board of cancellation; amending Section 1, Chapter
	49	+	291, O.S.L. 2022 (26 O.S. Supp. 2024, Section 6 -
	50	+	104.1), which relates to paper ballots; directing for
	51	+	ballots to be printed in advance of election;
47	52		permitting certain additional ballots be printed;
48	53		clarifying does not apply to printing or marking of
49	54		ballots for certain persons; amending 26 O.S. 2021,
50	55		Section 7-104, which relates to hours for voting;
51	56		clarifying applicability to county election board;
52	57		directing that voter appear at assigned polling
53	58		place; prohibiting v oting centers; clarifying voting
54	59		centers; providing exception; clarifying subprecincts
55	60		are not prohibited; providing an effective date; and
56	61		declaring an emergency.
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61	66		BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
62		-	SECTION 1. AMENDATORY Section 1, Chapter 291, O.S.L.
63		-	2022 (26 O.S. Supp. 2024, Section 6 -104.1), is amended to read as
64		-	follows:
65		-	Section 6-104.1. A. All ballots used for any election shall be
66		-	printed on paper to ensure a fair and accurate count; provided, each
67		-	precinct polling place and in -person absentee voting location shall
68		-	provide a means for any voter w ho requires assistance by reason of
	67	+	SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 26 O.S. 2021, Section 4 -120.4, is
	68	+	amended to read as follows:
	69	+	A. The Secretary of the State Election Board shall accept
	70	+	written notice from the United States Attorney of persons convicted
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70		-	SENATE FLOOR VERSION - HB1865 SFLR Page 2
71		-	(Bold face denotes Committee Amendments) 1
	72	+	ENGR. H. B. NO. 1865 Page 2 1
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96		-	blindness, disability, or inab ility to read or write to cast a
97		-	ballot privately and independently, in a manner to be determined by
98		-	the Secretary of the State Election Board.
99		-	B. 1. Ballots for each election day precinct shall be printed
100		-	in advance of the date of the election. Provided, the Secretary of
101		-	the State Election Board may authorize the printing of additional
102		-	ballots on election day in the event of a ballot shortage or due to
103		-	an emergency or unforeseen circumsta nce as described in Section 22 -
104		-	101 of this title.
105		-	2. Nothing in this subsection shall prohibit the printing or
106		-	marking of ballots for persons with blindness, disability, or
107		-	inability to read or write as provided in subsection A of this
108		-	section.
109		-	SECTION 2. AMENDATORY 26 O.S. 2021, Section 7 -104, is
110		-	amended to read as follows:
111		-	Section 7-104. A. At every Primary, Runoff Primary and General
112		-	Election and any other election conducted by a county election
113		-	board, each polling place in the state shall open at 7:00 a.m. and
114		-	shall remain open continuous ly until 7:00 p.m., and every registered
115		-	voter of a precinct who presents himself or herself between said
116		-	hours shall be entitled to vote, as provided by law, provided
117		-	further, all qualified voters who are in line waiting to vote at
118		-	7:00 p.m. shall be allowed to vote.
	97	+	of felonies in a district court of the United States. The Secretary
	98	+	of the State Election Board shall cause the voter registrations of
	99	+	persons listed in the written notice to be cancelled in the county
	100	+	of the person’s residence and shall notify the secretary of the
	101	+	appropriate county election board of the c ancellation.
	102	+	B. The Secretary of the State Election Board shall accept
	103	+	written notice from the tribal court clerk of a federally recognized
	104	+	tribe of persons convicted of felonies in a tribal court in the
	105	+	United States. The Secretary of the State Election Board shall
	106	+	cause the voter registrations of persons listed in the written
	107	+	notice to be cancelled in the county of the person’s residence and
	108	+	shall notify the sec retary of the appropriate county election board
	109	+	of the cancellation.
	110	+	C. The court clerk in e ach county shall prepare a list monthly
	111	+	of all persons convicted in the county of a felony and shall
	112	+	transmit the list to the secretary of the county election board.
	113	+	The list shall include information necessary to identify a person on
	114	+	the list as a regist ered voter prescribed by the Secretary of the
	115	+	State Election Board. The secretary shall cancel the registration
	116	+	of registered voters in the county included on the list. The
	117	+	secretary of the county election board shall forward the names of
	118	+	any persons on the list who are not residents of the county to the
	119	+	Secretary of the State Election Board. The Secretary of the State
	120	+	Election Board shall cause the voter registrations of persons from a
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120		-	SENATE FLOOR VERSION - HB1865 SFLR Page 3
121		-	(Bold face denotes Committee Amendments) 1
	122	+	ENGR. H. B. NO. 1865 Page 3 1
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146		-	B. 1. A registered voter wishing to vote on election day shall
147		-	appear at the polling place for his or her assigned precinct.
148		-	2. Neither the State Election Board nor any count y election
149		-	board shall utilize vote centers for voting on election day. For
150		-	the purposes of this section, "vote center" means a place where any
151		-	voter in the entire jurisdiction can vote on election day,
152		-	regardless of the voter's precinct assignment. Prov ided, an
153		-	exception to this requirement may be authorized for a county
154		-	election board by the Secretary of the State Election Board in the
155		-	event of an emergency as described in Section 22 -101 of this title.
156		-	The emergency use of a countywide vote center must be limited to the
157		-	precincts directly impacted by the emergency.
158		-	3. Nothing in this subsection shall prohibit the use of
159		-	subprecincts as described in Section 3 -119 of this title, nor shall
160		-	it prohibit the assignment of precinct officials to serve more tha n
161		-	one precinct, if authorized by law, if the precincts share the same
162		-	election day polling place.
163		-	C. If any provision of federal law specifies hours for voting
164		-	in federal elections, the Secretary of the State Election Board
165		-	shall direct the county electio n boards to allow voting in all
166		-	elections held on the same day as such federal elections during the
167		-	hours specified by federal law.
168		-	SECTION 3. This act shall become effective July 1, 2025.
	147	+	list who are forwarded to the Secretary to be cancelled in the
	148	+	county of the person’s residence.
	149	+	C. D. The Secretary of the State Election Board, secretaries of
	150	+	county election boards, and their agents and employees shall not be
	151	+	held civilly liable for any action taken based upon information
	152	+	concerning felony convictions received from a United States Attorney
	153	+	or a county court clerk pursuant to subsections A and B of this
	154	+	section if a reasonable effort was made to make an accurate match of
	155	+	the information provided with voter registration records before
	156	+	canceling any voter’ s registration.
	157	+	SECTION 2. AMENDATORY Section 1, Chapter 291, O.S.L.
	158	+	2022 (26 O.S. Supp. 2024, Section 6 -104.1), is amended to read as
	159	+	follows:
	160	+	Section 6-104.1. A. All ballots used for any election shall be
	161	+	printed on paper to e nsure a fair and accurate count; provided, each
	162	+	precinct polling place and in -person absentee voting location shall
	163	+	provide a means for any voter who requires assistance by reason of
	164	+	blindness, disability, or inability to read or write to cast a
	165	+	ballot privately and independently, in a manner to be determined by
	166	+	the Secretary of the State Election Board.
	167	+	B. 1. Ballots for each election day precinct shall be printe d
	168	+	in advance of the date of the election. Provided, the Secretary of
	169	+	the State Election Boar d may authorize the printing of additional
	170	+	ballots on election day in the event of a ballot shortage or due to
169	171
170		-	SENATE FLOOR VERSION - HB1865 SFLR Page 4
171		-	(Bold face denotes Committee Amendments) 1
	172	+	ENGR. H. B. NO. 1865 Page 4 1
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196		-	SECTION 4. It being immediately n ecessary for the preservation
	197	+	an emergency or unforeseen circumstance as described in Section 22 -
	198	+	101 of this title.
	199	+	2. Nothing in this subsection shall prohibit the printing or
	200	+	marking of ballots for persons with blindness, disability, or
	201	+	inability to read or write as provided in subsection A of this
	202	+	section.
	203	+	SECTION 3. AMENDATORY 26 O.S. 2021, Section 7 -104, is
	204	+	amended to read as follows:
	205	+	Section 7-104. A. At every Primary, Runoff Primary and General
	206	+	Election and any other election conducted by a county election
	207	+	board, each polling place in the state shall open at 7:00 a.m. and
	208	+	shall remain open continuously until 7:00 p.m., and every registered
	209	+	voter of a precinct who presents himself or herself between said
	210	+	hours shall be entitled to vote, as provided by law, provided
	211	+	further, all qualified voters who are in line waiting to vote at
	212	+	7:00 p.m. shall be allowed to vote.
	213	+	B. 1. A registered voter wis hing to vote on election day shall
	214	+	appear at the polling place for his or her assigned precinct.
	215	+	2. Neither the State Election Board nor any county election
	216	+	board shall utilize vote centers for voting on election day. For
	217	+	the purposes of this section, "v ote center" means a place where any
	218	+	voter in the entire jurisdiction can vote on election day,
	219	+	regardless of the voter's precinct assignment. Provided, an
	220	+	exception to this requirement may be authorized for a county
	221	+
	222	+	ENGR. H. B. NO. 1865 Page 5 1
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	247	+	election board by the Secretary of the State Election Board in the
	248	+	event of an emergency as described in Section 22 -101 of this title.
	249	+	The emergency use of a countywide vote center must be limited to the
	250	+	precincts directly impacted by the emergency.
	251	+	3. Nothing in this subsection shall prohibi t the use of
	252	+	subprecincts as described in Section 3 -119 of this title, nor shall
	253	+	it prohibit the assignment of precinct officials to serve more than
	254	+	one precinct, if authorized by law, if the precincts share the same
	255	+	election day polling place.
	256	+	C. If any provision of federal law specifies hours for voting
	257	+	in federal elections, the Secretary of the State Election Board
	258	+	shall direct the county election boards to allow voting in all
	259	+	elections held on the same day as such federal elections during the
	260	+	hours specified by federal law.
	261	+	SECTION 4. This act shall become effective July 1, 2025.
	262	+	SECTION 5. It being immediately necessary for the preservation
197	263		of the public peace, health or safety, an emergency is hereby
198	264		declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and
199	265		be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
200		-	COMMITTEE REPORT BY: COMMITTEE ON JUDI CIARY
201		-	April 22, 2025 - DO PASS AS AMENDED
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	267	+	ENGR. H. B. NO. 1865 Page 6 1
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	292	+	Passed the House of Representatives the 12th day of March, 2025.
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	295	+
	296	+
	297	+	Presiding Officer of the House
	298	+	of Representatives
	299	+
	300	+
	301	+
	302	+	Passed the Senate the ___ day of __________, 2025.
	303	+
	304	+
	305	+
	306	+
	307	+	Presiding Officer of the Senate