Case Summary

On February 28, 2020, four Oklahoma voters filed a petition with the Oklahoma Supreme Court challenging Initiative Petition 426, which aimed to amend the state constitution to transfer Oklahoma’s congressional and legislative redistricting authority to an independent redistricting commission, as unconstitutional. Petitioners alleged the initiative’s eligibility requirements and partisan affiliation restrictions for commission applicants violated the 1st and 14th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution and that its provision requiring incarcerated persons to be counted as residents of their pre-incarceration addresses violated Article I, § 2 of the U.S. Constitution and the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause. They sought a court order declaring Initiative Petition 426 unconstitutional and barring it from being placed on the ballot.

  • Oral arguments were held before the Oklahoma Supreme Court on March 17, 2020.
  • On May 27, 2020, the Oklahoma Supreme Court upheld the initiative as constitutional and valid for placement on the ballot.

Case Library

Oklahoma Supreme Court - O-118685