Opinion ID: 2570142
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Governing Constitutional Provisions

Text: ¶ 12 Article 18, § 4(b), Okl. Const., provides the basic authority for the municipal referendum petition. Pursuant to that provision, [e]very petition for either the initiative or referendum in the government of a municipal corporation shall be signed by a number of qualified electors residing within the territorial limits of such municipal corporation, equal to twenty-five per centum of the total number of votes cast at the next preceding election, and every such petition shall be filed with the chief executive officer of such municipal corporation. [10] This constitutional provision utilizes the phrase next preceding election, which does not by itself provide clear guidance for settling the precise meaning of the term. It is the legislature and this court who have provided the additional clarification for this term. We must now decide whether the critical election declared by COCA does qualify as the next preceding election.