Oklahoma voters have decided on 454 ballot measures since statehood in 1907


Oklahoma’s constitution, adopted in 1907, includes rights for citizens to propose new laws and change existing laws through the initiative and referendum process. Since 1907, Oklahomans have decided on 454 ballot measures placed on the ballot by successful citizen initiatives and the Oklahoma State Legislature.

The types of measures decided have included advisory questions (1), constitutional convention referrals (2), initiated constitutional amendments (57), initiated state statutes (39), veto referendums (20), legislatively referred constitutional amendments (313), and legislatively referred state statutes (22). Two hundred thirty-two (232) measures were approved (51.1%), and two hundred twenty-two (222) measures were defeated (48.9%).

In Oklahoma, initiative petitions for proposed constitutional amendments can be placed on the ballot after proponents submit valid signatures equal to 15% of the total votes cast for the office of governor in the last gubernatorial election. For proposed statutory changes, the number of required signatures is 8% and for veto referendums to overturn laws passed by the legislature, the requirement is 5%.

Legislatively referred measures have had better success at the ballot box than citizen-initiated measures. Legislatively referred measures have been approved 58% of the time, as compared to 32% for ballot initiatives.

Notable topics appearing on the Oklahoma ballot include alcohol prohibition, election processes, taxation, and women’s suffrage, among others:

  • Oklahoma voters approved State Question 2 in 1907, which prohibited the sale of alcohol in the state. In 1959, voters considered two measures related to alcohol regulation: State Question 386, which established an Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, and State Question 387, which would have allowed counties to opt in or out of alcohol sales but was defeated.
  • In 1944, Oklahoma adopted a runoff primary election system with the approval of State Question 312.
  • Voters in Oklahoma rejected a 1970 amendment that would have prohibited school segregation.
  • In 1992, voters approved State Question 640, requiring voter approval or a 75% supermajority vote in the legislature to enact tax increases.
  • Oklahomans have approved two amendments requiring the state to maintain a balanced budget—State Question 298 in 1941 and State Question 587 in 1985.
  • The state has adopted measures affecting its initiative and referendum process. State Question 353 in 1952 established a single-subject rule for constitutional amendments, while two measures in 1974—State Question 496 and State Question 495—set a simple majority vote requirement for amendments and citizen initiatives, respectively. Prior to this change, amendments and initiatives needed to receive a majority of votes from all electors casting a ballot in the election rather than a majority of votes on the measure.
  • Oklahoma voters rejected a women’s suffrage amendment in 1910 but later approved State Question 97 in 1918, giving women the right to vote. In 1935, voters rejected State Question 211, which would have allowed women to hold state office.
  • Oklahoma voters have twice considered right-to-work laws. A 1964 initiative, State Question 409, was defeated, while a later measure, State Question 695, was approved in 2001, prohibiting mandatory union membership as a condition of employment.

The average number of measures per decade was about 35. The decade with the most ballot measures was the 1960s, which had 67 ballot measures. Thirty-five measures (52.2%) were approved, and 32 (47.8%) were defeated. The decade that had the highest approval rate was the 2000s, which had 35 measures—28 (80.0%) were approved, and 7 (20.0%) were defeated. The decade with the lowest approval rating was the 1900s. The decade had seven ballot measures—1 (14.3%) was approved, and six (85.7%) were defeated.

The most recent initiative to appear on the statewide ballot in Oklahoma was State Question 820, which would have legalized marijuana.

In June 2026, voters will decide on an initiative to increase the state minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2029.

In 2024, the state legislature passed House Bill 1105, which changed the timeframe for filing challenges to initiative petitions from 10 days to 90 days. Specifically, the bill allows constitutional challenges to filed initiatives to be submitted within 90 days after the initiative is published (rather than within 10 days after publication) and allows challenges to signature validity or ballot language to be filed within 90 days after a notice of signed petitions is published (rather than within 10 days after publication).

Ballotpedia’s Historical Ballot Measure Factbook will document nearly 200 years of direct democracy in the United States. This ongoing research effort will provide an unparalleled resource for researchers, reporters, and the public on how ballot measures have evolved, the issues they have covered, and their role in our civic life.