OKLAHOMA CITY, OK — Over Memorial Day weekend, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt signed Senate Bill 1027 into law, a measure that critics say will significantly restrict citizens’ ability to initiate ballot measures. According to the Fairness Project, the law imposes harsh limits on volunteer-driven campaigns and introduces a county-based vote weighting system that dilutes the influence of voters in populous, urban areas.
Among its many provisions, the most controversial is a cap on signature collection by county. The law stipulates that no more than 10% of the required signatures for any ballot measure may come from counties with populations greater than 400,000, while no more than 4% may come from smaller counties.
“SB 1027 explicitly diminishes the voices of urban voters,” said Kelly Hall, executive director of the Fairness Project, a national advocacy group focused on ballot measures. “It’s cowardly, antidemocratic, and an insult to the principle of ‘one person, one vote’ that has guided American elections since the civil rights movement. All voters, regardless of ideology or address, should have their voices heard equally.”
Hall added that the intent of the law is transparent: “When politicians fail to pass common-sense legislation that aligns with the values of their voters, the voters use the ballot measure process to make change themselves. Here, extremist politicians are undermining the power of their voters rather than representing the will of their constituents.”
In addition to restricting signature collection and donations, SB 1027 includes provisions that the Fairness Project says “strip citizens of their power to control the initiative process.” The law grants state regulators the authority to dictate how ballot measures are described on petitions and gives the secretary of state veto power over the summaries presented to the public. It also mandates that organizers disclose anticipated fiscal impacts of proposed measures.
Since the start of 2025, lawmakers in at least 15 states have introduced or passed more than 100 bills aimed at limiting direct democracy or overturning voter-approved measures, according to the Fairness Project. In early May, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed HB 1205, which significantly curtails signature gathering and imposes steep fines for even minor or unintentional violations.
The Fairness Project warns that these efforts are part of a broader campaign to weaken direct democracy nationwide. In at least six states, lawmakers are pushing to raise the approval threshold for ballot initiatives from a simple majority to 60%, a change the group says would “effectively enact minority rule.”
The group, which was the largest funder of abortion rights campaigns during the 2024 election cycle—investing over $30 million—has supported voter-led efforts to protect reproductive rights, raise wages, and secure paid leave across the country.
“We’re sounding the alarm: direct democracy is being threatened right under our noses,” Hall said. “We’ve seen this playbook used before by extremist politicians who want to silence their voters. Just weeks ago, the governor of Florida introduced a similar bill under the pretense of preventing fraud. But the real goal is to make campaigns too expensive and complex for ordinary citizens.”
In 2022, a similar effort in Oklahoma was blocked when House Joint Resolution 1059—which would have required constitutional amendments to pass with at least 55% of the vote—was defeated. But the passage of SB 1027, which applies to all ballot initiatives, raises new concerns by placing obstacles throughout the entire process.
“Voters are paying attention to this widespread attack on their constitutional rights,” Hall said. “And they’re fighting back. Americans deserve leaders who respect our democracy.”
