YES on SQ 846: Add voter ID to the Oklahoma Constitution

Oklahoma has a relatively strong voter ID law, which was approved as SQ 746 at the November 2, 2010, general election, with 74% of the vote. SQ 746 enacted several amendments to Title 26 (Elections) of Oklahoma Statutes. The law specifies the attributes of an ID card that would be considered acceptable (unexpired, government-issued with a photograph and matching name) and makes allowance for provisional ballots for someone who seeks to vote without a valid ID. The sole exception to the photograph requirement is the paper voter ID card that is sent to each voter by the County Election Board to the registration mailing address. (Here's the Oklahoma State Election Board's FAQ on voter ID.)

State Question 846 (746+100!) doesn't change any of that, but it would make it a constitutional requirement to present proof of identity to vote in Oklahoma. Currently, the legislature could abolish voter ID without voter approval; SQ 846 would make that impossible without a vote of the people. The question will be on the August 25, 2026, runoff election ballot. In April 2026, the Legislature approved SJR 47 to send the issue to the voters. SJR 47 passed 78-15 in the House and 39-8 in the Senate along party lines. If passed, it would add the following new section to Article III (Suffrage) of the Oklahoma Constitution:

Section 6. Each voter shall present proof of identity to the appropriate election official when voting at any election authorized by law and conducted by a county election board or the State Election Board. Proof of identity shall be required for any method of voting authorized by law. The Legislature shall enact laws necessary to specify the requirements for proof of identity for voting as required by this section.

The current form of Article III was approved in SQ 531 in November 1978, with a slight amendment to Section 1 in SQ 834 at the November 2024 election, clarifying that only US citizens may vote.

This is an easy YES vote.