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SENATE FLOOR VERSION
April 22, 2025
AS AMENDED
ENGROSSED HOUSE
BILL NO. 1865 By: Roberts of the House
and
Bergstrom of the Senate
An Act relating to elections; amending Section 1,
Chapter 291, O.S.L. 2022 (26 O.S. Supp. 2024, Section
6-104.1), which relates to paper ballots; directing
for ballots to be printed in advance of election;
permitting certain additional ballots be printed;
clarifying does not apply to printing or marking of
ballots for certain persons; amending 26 O.S. 2021,
Section 7-104, which relates to hours for voting;
clarifying applicability to county election board;
directing that voter appear at assigned polling
place; prohibiting voting centers; clarifying voting
centers; providing exception; clarifying subprecincts
are not prohibited; providing an effective date; and
declaring an emergency.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
SECTION 1. AMENDATORY Section 1, Chapter 291, O.S.L.
2022 (26 O.S. Supp. 2024, Section 6 -104.1), is amended to read as
follows:
Section 6-104.1. A. All ballots used for any election shall be
printed on paper to ensure a fair and accurate count; provided, each
precinct polling place and in -person absentee voting location shall
provide a means for any voter w ho requires assistance by reason of
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blindness, disability, or inab ility to read or write to cast a
ballot privately and independently, in a manner to be determined by
the Secretary of the State Election Board.
B. 1. Ballots for each election day precinct shall be printed
in advance of the date of the election. Provided, the Secretary of
the State Election Board may authorize the printing of additional
ballots on election day in the event of a ballot shortage or due to
an emergency or unforeseen circumsta nce as described in Section 22 -
101 of this title.
2. Nothing in this subsection shall prohibit the printing or
marking of ballots for persons with blindness, disability, or
inability to read or write as provided in subsection A of this
section.
SECTION 2. AMENDATORY 26 O.S. 2021, Section 7 -104, is
amended to read as follows:
Section 7-104. A. At every Primary, Runoff Primary and General
Election and any other election conducted by a county election
board, each polling place in the state shall open at 7:00 a.m. and
shall remain open continuous ly until 7:00 p.m., and every registered
voter of a precinct who presents himself or herself between said
hours shall be entitled to vote, as provided by law, provided
further, all qualified voters who are in line waiting to vote at
7:00 p.m. shall be allowed to vote.
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B. 1. A registered voter wishing to vote on election day shall
appear at the polling place for his or her assigned precinct.
2. Neither the State Election Board nor any count y election
board shall utilize vote centers for voting on election day. For
the purposes of this section, "vote center" means a place where any
voter in the entire jurisdiction can vote on election day,
regardless of the voter's precinct assignment. Prov ided, an
exception to this requirement may be authorized for a county
election board by the Secretary of the State Election Board in the
event of an emergency as described in Section 22 -101 of this title.
The emergency use of a countywide vote center must be limited to the
precincts directly impacted by the emergency.
3. Nothing in this subsection shall prohibit the use of
subprecincts as described in Section 3 -119 of this title, nor shall
it prohibit the assignment of precinct officials to serve more tha n
one precinct, if authorized by law, if the precincts share the same
election day polling place.
C. If any provision of federal law specifies hours for voting
in federal elections, the Secretary of the State Election Board
shall direct the county electio n boards to allow voting in all
elections held on the same day as such federal elections during the
hours specified by federal law.
SECTION 3. This act shall become effective July 1, 2025.
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SECTION 4. It being immediately n ecessary for the preservation
of the public peace, health or safety, an emergency is hereby
declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and
be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
COMMITTEE REPORT BY: COMMITTEE ON JUDI CIARY
April 22, 2025 - DO PASS AS AMENDED