White Oak liquor election petition turns to May ’27

There won’t be a local option liquor election on White Oak ballots come November, but a signature drive is still underway for a May 2027 decision.
Petition circulator Linda Perdue is collecting the necessary names for a client, a developer who aims to establish a retail business in town if voters agree. Right now, Perdue’s asking registered residents to sign on to putting the question to a vote in the near future.
To call the local option election, per state guidelines the petitioners must gather signatures equal to 35 percent of voters who turned out for the last gubernatorial election, about 2400 in this case. Their 60-day timeframe began in late May to draw the necessary 835 backers.
An initial deadline passed last week, according to White Oak City Secretary & Finance Director Kristine Toon, and another is ahead.
“She was unable to get enough signatures to get it on the November ballot,” Toon confirmed. “That is a hard-set deadline. They have so-many days before the election that it has to be turned in, then our city council has to vote on it” to place the measure on an upcoming ballot.
“It was all about the timing.”
Those collected so far are still within the 60-day petition window. There are days left until the next cut-off.
“She can still gather signatures until Monday, July 27. If she were to get enough signatures, it would then be able to be placed on the May ballot.”