HB1300 amends Oklahoma’s provisional ballot law to expressly allow certain absentee voters to cast an in-person provisional ballot. Under the bill, an absentee voter may vote provisionally on election day at the precinct polling place assigned to the voter, or at an in-person absentee voting site in the county during the in-person absentee voting period, if the voter’s absentee ballot has not been received by the county election board by election day or if the voter has already received a rejection notice. In either case, the provisional ballot is counted only after the county election board confirms that the absentee ballot was not timely received or was rejected.
The bill also updates the existing provisional ballot statute to incorporate this new category of eligible provisional voters. The underlying provisional ballot procedures remain in place, including affidavit requirements, post-election verification by county election officials, ballot segregation, confidentiality rules, and retention of materials for 24 months. The act is set to become effective November 1, 2025.
Impact
HB1300 would modify Title 26 of the Oklahoma Statutes by amending Section 7-116.1 and adding a new Section 14-134.1. Its practical effect is to create a fallback voting option for absentee voters whose ballots are missing or rejected, while preserving safeguards against double voting by requiring county election officials to verify the absentee ballot status before counting the provisional ballot. The bill affects county election boards, the Secretary of the State Election Board, absentee voters, and election workers administering provisional and absentee voting procedures.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and available context, the measure appears procedural and administrative rather than controversial in its framing. There are no recorded committee transcripts or votes in the provided materials, so no direct evidence of support or opposition is available. The bill’s purpose suggests an effort to protect voter access while maintaining election integrity through verification requirements.
Contention
The main point of potential contention is the balance between voter access and election security. Supporters would likely view the bill as a way to ensure absentee voters are not disenfranchised when their ballots are delayed or rejected, while opponents may be concerned about the added complexity of allowing in-person provisional voting for absentee voters and the administrative burden on county election boards. Another possible issue is the need to prevent duplicate counting, which the bill addresses by conditioning acceptance of the provisional ballot on confirmation that the absentee ballot was not received on time or was rejected.
Conduct of elections; requiring signing of certain oath; authorizing provisional ballot for certain persons; requiring update of voter registration. Effective date.
Conduct of elections; requiring proof of identity for voting purposes to include a photograph; requiring development of certain voter registration card. Effective date.
Elections: voting procedures; process for voting without identification for election purposes; modify to include proof of identity and proof of state residency. Amends secs. 523, 523a, 813 & 829 of 1954 PA 116 (MCL 168.523 et seq.).