Oklahoma minimum wage election pushed back to 2026

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — State Question 832, a measure that would increase the minimum wage by $1.50 each year until reaching $15 an hour in 2029, will not be making it onto the November ballot this year.

According to an executive order issued by Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt on Wednesday, the proposal to amend the Oklahoma Minimum Wage Act will be pushed back to June 16, 2026.

When asked about reason for the date change, Stitt responded the following statement.

Consistent with state law, Secretary Cockroft and the State Election Board recommended the next possible statewide ballot, which would be the June 2026 statewide primary. This choice saves taxpayers over $1.8 million and prevents the need for the Election Board to request supplemental funding from the Legislature to arrange a standalone statewide election.

Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt

Back in July, supporters of SQ 832 collected 157,287 verified signatures—well over the required minimum of 92,000—in a petition to put the measure up for a vote.

However, supporters told News 4 in August that they doubted the likelihood of the measure making the ballot due to challenges from the State Chamber of Commerce, who claimed that raising the minimum wage would be bad for businesses.