A. The following procedure shall be observed for Presidential Electors pledged to an independent candidate for President of the United States:
1. A person wishing to appear on the General Election ballot as an independent candidate for President of the United States shall file a Statement of Candidacy with the Secretary of the State Election Board no later than July 15 of a presidential election year;
2. a.the Statement of Candidacy shall be in a form to be prescribed by the Secretary of the State Election Board, and shall include the candidate’s full legal name, the candidate’s address of residence, the candidate’s mailing address, the name of the candidate as it should appear on the ballot and any other information required by the Secretary of the State Election Board,
- b.the candidate shall swear an oath or affirm on the Statement of Candidacy that the candidate meets the qualifications for President of the United States set forth in the Constitution of the United States, and the candidate’s signature shall be witnessed by a notary public;
3. The Statement of Candidacy shall be accompanied by a certification of the name and address of residence for each candidate for Presidential Elector pledged to the independent candidate for President of the United States. The number of electors so certified shall be equal to the number apportioned to the State of Oklahoma pursuant to the provisions of Section 1 of Article II of the United States Constitution. Each candidate for Presidential Elector so nominated shall subscribe to an oath prescribed by the Secretary of the State Election Board, which shall be in the same manner, substance and form as the oath described in Section 10-102 of this title;
4. a.the Statement of Candidacy shall be accompanied by a petition supporting a candidate’s filing,
- b.the form of the petition shall be prescribed by the Secretary of the State Election Board. Each page of the petition must contain the names of registered voters from a single county,
- c.the petition shall bear the same number of signatures of registered voters that is required to form a recognized political party as described in Section 1-108 of this title,
- d.within thirty (30) days after receipt of the petition, the Secretary of the State Election Board shall determine the sufficiency of the petition,
- e.in lieu of the petition required by this subsection, a filing fee for each Presidential Elector committed to the independent candidate for President of the United States may be submitted in the form of a cashier’s check or certified check made payable to the Secretary of the State Election Board. The filing fee for each Presidential Elector shall be in an amount equal to the filing fee described in Section 20-102 of this title. The sum of the filing fees for each Presidential Elector may be paid in a single cashier’s check or certified check. The filing fees shall be deposited in the State Election Board Revolving Fund created pursuant to Section 3-107 of this title; and
5. If the requirements set forth in this section are found by the Secretary of the State Election Board to be sufficient, then the independent candidate for President of the United States shall be qualified to appear on the General Election ballot. The candidate shall certify to the Secretary of the State Election Board the name of the candidate’s Vice Presidential running mate no later than the deadline established in Section 10-101 of this title for the certification by a recognized political party of its nominee for Vice President of the United States.
B. A political party not recognized under the laws of the State of Oklahoma may place its nominees for President of the United States, Vice President of the United States and Presidential Electors on the ballot subject to the same requirements, restrictions and deadlines as provided for an independent candidate for President of the United States. Provided, the national chair of the unrecognized political party shall submit the Statement of Candidacy on behalf of the unrecognized political party, and shall provide the Secretary of the State Election Board with a separate certificate of nomination for the unrecognized political party’s nominees for President and Vice President of the United States, in a form and manner prescribed by the Secretary of the State Election Board.
Added by Laws 1977, c. 136, § 4. Amended by Laws 2017, c. 214, § 2, eff, Nov. 1, 2017.