Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt has set a date in 2026 for Oklahoma to vote on whether or not to raise the minimum wage, rather than in November as advocates hoped.
The measure, State Question 832, would raise the minimum wage from $7.25 to $15 by 2029. In the executive order signed Sept. 10, Stitt set the question to appear on the gubernatorial primary ballot on June 16, 2026.
For the question to go to a vote, supporters needed to compile at least 92,263 signatures, per state statute. The Secretary of State’s Office officially verified 157,287 signatures in August.
“Our collective success during this phase of the campaign is a testament to the grassroots movement we’re building that is rooted in the value of hard work and a commitment to ensuring Oklahoma families can keep up with the cost of living,” Amber England, a spokesperson for Raise the Wage Oklahoma, said in a media statement at the time.
More: Is Oklahoma’s minimum wage enough to live on? How wages compares to the rest of the US
Though supporters were hopeful the measure would be on the November ballot, the governor has the discretion to call a special election or place a state question on any statewide election.
“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,” Abegial Cave with the governor’s office told News9.
It is unclear how the measure’s language could change between now and 2026. Currently, the plan proposed that Oklahoma businesses pay employees at least $9 per hour beginning in 2025. The rate would increase by $1.50 each subsequent year. The annual increase would stop in 2029 when the final hourly rate would equal $15 per hour.
The order also explains that beginning in 2030, the minimum wage would automatically increase annually based on the increase in cost of living, if any.
Minimum wage in Oklahoma
If raised, Oklahoma will join the other 30 states that already pay higher than the federally mandated $7.25 an hour.
According to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Living Wage Calculator, the living wage for an adult in Oklahoma with no children is $19.33 an hour. For an adult with one child, that increases to $32.68 an hour.
According to the calculator, a living wage for two working adults in Oklahoma with two children is $23.33 an hour.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma minimum wage: Gov. sets vote on raising minimum wage in 2026
