Beer elections in neighboring counties today

The sale of beer and alcohol in four area counties, as well as 10 others across the state, will change dramatically based on the outcome of today’s elections.
Washita, Dewey, Roger Mills and Caddo are the area counties whose electors are deciding today whether to allow full-strength beer, wine and mixed drinks to be sold for on-premises consumption. If the ballot measure passes, those products could be sold in bars, restaurants and other retail establishments starting Oct. 1 in the counties where it does pass.
If it fails, no beer or alcohol could be sold at all after Oct. 1 for on-site consumption in the counties where it does not pass.
All this is a result of State Question 792 which was approved statewide by voters in 2016. It required all beer to be regulated the same way, whether it’s full-strength or 3.2. Since then six counties have already voted to allow liquor by the drink.
They and the 14 voting today had been holdouts against liquor by the drink since the 21st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution repealing Prohibition was ratified by Oklahoma in 1959. The current effort is labeled as an attempt to “modernize” Oklahoma’s liquor laws.
Proponents say it will help businesses in counties where it passes by allowing consumers to have a beer, a glass of wine or a mixed drink while having dinner in restaurants.
In any county where it fails, it cannot be brought up again for two years.
The other 10 counties outside this area where liquor by the drink is still outlawed are Adair, Alfalfa, Beaver, Cimarron, Coal, Cotton, Harmon, Harper, Haskell and Hughes.
Brent Fairchild, chief agent for the Alcohol Beverage Laws Enforcement Commision, was quoted by KFOR TV (Channel 4) as stating: “Most of your counties like these 14 have been kind of quiet about the liquor law changes. Obviously they didn’t vote for liquor by the drink previously, so it was kind of one of those things that was pretty much always quiet in their counties.”