This bill amends Section 6.1 of Title 34 of the Oklahoma Statutes, which pertains to the initiative and referendum process, specifically focusing on the verification and counting of signatures on petitions. The amendment allows the Secretary of State to begin the verification of signatures while they are still being gathered, which is a significant change from the previous requirement that verification could only occur after the signature collection process was complete.

Additionally, the bill outlines the criteria for excluding certain signatures from the total count, such as those from nonresidents, multiple signatures, and signatures that cannot be verified against voter registration records. The Secretary of State is also granted the authority to purchase necessary assets, including software, to fulfill these duties, exempting such purchases from the Oklahoma Central Purchasing Act. The act is set to take effect on November 1, 2025.