Oklahoma voters reject SQ 847 property tax cap

Oklahoma voters turned down a proposal to tighten property tax assessment caps on Nov. 3, defeating State Question 847 by a margin of about 9 percentage points.

Unofficial results showed 54.33% voted no and 45.67% voted yes, according to the Journal Record. All results are unofficial until certified by the Oklahoma State Election Board.

SQ 847 results

Source: Unofficial results via UCentral Media and the Journal Record, published Nov. 4, 2026. Results have not been certified.

What SQ 847 would have changed

The measure would have cut the annual growth cap on homestead and agricultural property assessments from 3% to 1.75%. Other real property, including commercial and rental buildings, would have dropped from 5% to 4%, according to Oklahoma Watch. A separate tiered system would have applied to homeowners 65 and older who earn too much to qualify for the existing senior property tax freeze.

Because SQ 847 failed, the existing caps of 3% for homesteads and agricultural land, and 5% for all other properties remain in place, according to KOCO.

Lawmakers weigh next steps

State Sen. Julie Daniels, R-Bartlesville, said she believed the measure was a straightforward way to help homeowners but acknowledged that timing and the complexity of state questions may have played a role in its defeat.

"These things are hard to read and understand," Daniels said, according to KOCO. "And when you have all the noise of all the other elections taking place, state questions really need some concentrated effort and coalitions and money put behind a campaign to advance them."

House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, said the failure did not mean putting the question before voters was a mistake. "We got feedback from the voters on what they want," Hilbert said, according to KOCO.

Senate Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle, struck a different note. He said lawmakers need to balance tax concerns with funding for roads and schools. "You do have to have good schools. Those aren't free," Paxton said, according to KOCO.

What comes next

Daniels said she is interested in hearing Governor-elect Mike Mazzei's property tax plan. Mazzei won the governor's race on Nov. 3 and is set to take office Jan. 11, 2027, according to the Journal Record. During his campaign, he pledged to eliminate property taxes for seniors and veterans, according to NonDoc.

Daniels told KOCO that lawmakers may try a different constitutional amendment. "Anything that comes forward after this might be a combination of what a legislature can do, but it may also be going back to the people with a different amendment to this section of the Constitution," she said.

The next regular legislative session begins Feb. 1, 2027.