Oklahoma pursuing easier voting access, election integrity
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Oklahoma has taken steps in recent years to make voting easier and ensure the integrity of elections.
“In my opinion, Oklahoma’s laws strike a good balance, helping to ensure that voting is easy while also making sure cheating is hard,” Oklahoma Election Board Secretary Paul Ziriax told the Legislature last year.
The Election Board in July conducted post-election manual tabulation audits in 33 of the state’s 77 counties. The audits, of the June 28 primary elections, confirmed the accuracy of the certified results, according to the board.
How do you vote in Oklahoma?
Oklahomans cast paper ballots that are scanned by a precinct-based optical scan tabulator.
The state allows voters to cast absentee ballots by mail, with no excuse necessary, though the ballots must be requested; the requests can be made online.
Absentee ballot requests must now be made 15 days before an election, a change from two years ago when voters could wait as long as a week before the election. Oklahoma was one of the states that received a letter from the U.S. Postal Service in 2020 warning that its seven-day deadline might not allow enough time for delivery of ballots.
Early in-person voting is held at county election boards and runs from Thursday to Saturday before elections.
Oklahoma’s voter ID law, overwhelmingly approved by voters statewide in 2010, requires a government-issued photo id from the federal, state or tribal government, or a voter identification card issued by a county election board.
Oklahoma allows felons to vote if they have served their complete sentences, including parole.
Oklahoma voting turnout remains low despite access measures
Despite measures taken to make voting easier, Oklahoma voter turnout continues to be low. In June, less than one-third of registered Republicans showed up to pick a nominee to replace longtime U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe in a seat that hasn’t been open since 1994. There was also a highly competitive GOP race for attorney general.
The GOP turnout was down 20% from the 2018 primaries, when voters were also deciding the fate of a statewide question on medical marijuana, which was approved.
The elections were the first since new districts were approved for congressional and legislative seats. The Republican-controlled state Legislature made major changes to the congressional district that includes most of Oklahoma City, carving out a large part of the city's Hispanic population, to make it safer for the Republican incumbent.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma pursuing easier voting access, election integrity
