Oklahoma organization calls for opening primary elections to independent voters

With primary runoff elections underway, an Oklahoma organization continues its campaign aimed at repealing the closed primary process to allow those registered as No Party to vote in any primary election.

Margaret Kobos, founder of Oklahoma United for Progress, began the UnmuteOK campaign in an effort to promote potential legislation for an open primary system. To gain momentum, Kobos is trying to receive at least 5,000 signatures on an informal petition for future lobbying.

In Oklahoma's closed primary system, political party committees can choose which political affiliations can participate in its primary elections. This year, the Oklahoma Democratic Party allowed independents to vote on its ballot, while the Oklahoma Republican Party did not.

While not identifying as an independent, Kobos said leaving this decision to political parties is unethical, considering the elections are publicly funded.

“You don't take tax money from a person and then exclude them from the public benefit — and that’s what we see happening with closed primaries,” Kobos said.

Last June, about 27,000 people registered as No Party voted in the primaries with independents making up 16.3% of registered voters, according to the State Election Board.

In an open primary system, Kobos argues the upcoming August runoff elections would not be necessary, and a single election could determine all the results.

"You save considerable money, not only the direct cost of administering the election, but with campaign fundraising too," she said.

Kobos said she believes open primaries would increase voter turnout, and that the population of independents would continue to grow with rising political polarization.

"We all want to choose a person, the right person for representation. If we are all paying for those elections, we should all be able to do that," she said.

Increased polarization leaves some stuck in the middle

Tulsa resident Karee Brinlee had a similar experience when she changed her party affiliation from Republican to No Party after Donald Trump’s presidency.

“If you look at the way politics have gone, there's more hate in America. It's changed,” Brinlee said.

She said while she agrees with free enterprise and capitalism, and does not consider herself liberal, she does not believe the Republican Party values the social issues she prioritizes.

“I think if you're a true conservative, you want to promote business, good education and freedom,” Brinlee said. “They seem to be more interested in attacking and causing fear, and using LGBT rights as a weapon.”

Brinlee said her experience as a transgender woman has somewhat shaped the way she views politics. While she has thought of registering as a Republican to expand her voting opportunities, she said the rhetoric from some Republican politicians about LGBT issues dissuaded her.

“I’m an independent now, but I have no voice,” she said.

Closed primaries reap benefits for some

Pam Pollard, an Oklahoma committee member for Republican National Committee, said the state has a closed primary system for a reason. From a business perspective, Pollard said political parties are selling a product to consumers; candidates are the products and party members are the consumers.

“If we do not have closed primaries, now we have to try to sell our products to all multi-million people at one time, and I think it's unmanageable to do that,” Pollard said.

But closed primaries don't just benefit politicians and campaign supervisors, Pollard said. Party definitions can force citizens to become informed about policies before they actually cast a vote, and decide whether or not to align themselves with a party.

However, Pollard dislikes the use of the word “independent” as it does not reflect Oklahoma’s current political system. In Oklahoma, residents have four choices when registering to vote: the Republican Party, Democratic Party, Libertarian Party and No Party. This “No Party” classification is key when understanding Oklahoma politics and the election process — and when someone registers under No Party, they are revoking their right to participate in elections, she said.

“By all means, register as No Party if you don't know what to do, and get educated and go do due diligence,” Pollard said. “But in Oklahoma, people need to understand that no party means you will not be able to vote in a primary.”

She continued, saying general elections act as the compromise, where anyone can vote.

“When OU allows OSU to choose their star quarterback, we’ll consider open primaries,” Pollard said.

The future of primaries remains unknown

Several states have some form of open primaries with 15 states offering open primaries for both party ballots. UnmuteOK and Open Primaries in New York continue to collaborate in an effort to advance open primaries on a local and national scale. Kobos said in an ideal world, individuals would not have to be confined to one party's values, but curate their own stances through critical thought.

"People in Oklahoma do have a strong independent streak, and we don't like being told what to do. I feel like we're capable of making a decision by ourselves," Kobos said.

The UnmuteOK private petition is available on its website.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Group seeks to allow independents to vote in any Oklahoma primary