Case Summary

On February 28, 2020, two Oklahoma voters filed a petition with the Oklahoma Supreme Court challenging Initiative Petition 426, which aimed to transfer Oklahoma’s congressional and legislative redistricting authority to an independent redistricting commission, as ineligible to be placed on the ballot. Petitioners alleged the initiative’s ballot summary, despite already having been revised for inaccuracies at the direction of the Court in Newberry v. Moore, still inaccurately described the proposed redistricting commission members’ appointment and map drawing procedures and rules.

• Oral arguments were held before the Oklahoma Supreme Court on March 17, 2020.
• On May 27, 2020, the Oklahoma Supreme Court upheld the initiative’s ballot summary language as legally sufficient.

Case Library

Oklahoma Supreme Court - O-118686

• Application and Petition to Assume Original Jurisdiction - 2/28/20
• Brief in Support of Application and Petition to Assume Original Jurisdiction - 2/28/20
• Respondents Brief in Response to Application and Petition - 3/12/20
• Opinion - 5/27/20