Oklahoma Secretary Of State Challenges Appeals Court Decision

Associated Press

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Oklahoma's Secretary of State has asked the 10th U.S. Circuit of Appeals to reconsider a decision that struck down a law barring nonresidents from circulating ballot petitions.

Last month's ruling by the court's three-judge panel concluded Susan Savage failed to prove it is necessary to ban nonresident circulators to protect the integrity of the process. The panel said the law violates the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Savage said the integrity of the process is more likely to be abused by circulators from out of state. She challenged the basis for the decision and requested that all 12 judges of the court or the original panel rehear the case.

The law was challenged by a group known as Yes on Term Limits Inc., which wants to use out-of-state professional petition circulators to gather signatures for a term-limits proposal.