Oklahoma’s proposed State Question 836, which aimed to place all candidates on a single primary ballot while indicating party registration, will not appear on the November ballot after falling short on verified signatures.

Supporters submitted over 200,000 signatures to the Oklahoma Secretary of State’s Office, but fewer than the required 172,993 were deemed valid, leaving the initiative roughly 27,000 signatures below the threshold.

The measure would have allowed all registered voters to select any candidate in contested races regardless of party affiliation, a system currently used only in California and Washington.

Similar efforts have failed in other states: Louisiana previously repealed its top-two primary system, and South Dakota voters rejected a comparable measure last year. The proposal faced opposition from many Republicans, who argued that it could diminish party influence in primary elections.

With the signature shortfall confirmed, State Question 836 will not move forward in Oklahoma’s 2026 election cycle, leaving the state’s traditional partisan primary system in place.