Oklahoma House passes bill to address tied election procedures

OKLAHOMA CITY (KOKH) — The Oklahoma House of Representatives has passed House Bill 1678, a measure addressing election procedures in the event of a tied vote. Authored by Rep. Tammy Townley, R-Ardmore, the bill mandates that a second election be held when a tie occurs in primary, runoff, or general elections.

"This bill ensures elections are decided by voters, not by chance," said Townley. "I was surprised to learn that races could be settled by a random drawing. With the technology we have, there’s no reason a tied election can’t go to a runoff. This bill takes that step to make our elections fair and transparent."

House Bill 1678 amends Title 26, Section 8-105 of Oklahoma Statutes, directing that if a tie vote happens, a second vote will be scheduled for the next available election date. If there is a tie after the second vote, the race would be decided by a public drawing conducted by the election board.

The bill was inspired by the 2024 primary election in Carter County, where a sheriff’s race was decided by a random drawing after a tie. Townley’s office began working on the proposal immediately after learning that a race could be determined by a drawing instead of by the people.


https://okcfox.com/news/local/oklahoma-house-passes-bill-to-address-tied-election-procedures