The Oklahoma Policy Institute today urged legislative approval of measures designed to increase voter participation.
In an email, the Institute’s leader wrote:
Last November, fewer than three in ten eligible Oklahoma voters went to the polls in the General Election. In close to two-thirds of the state, the winner for the House legislative seat had already been decided before November because only one candidate filed for office or the seat was decided in the party primary.
Last year’s election confirmed a pattern where Oklahoma has fallen to the bottom rungs in voter registration, voter turnout, election competitiveness, and other measures. These are all symptoms of what we have referred to as our “broken democracy.” (see below for information and resources on this issue)
Voting is a cornerstone of our representative democracy and a fundamental right. The good news is that sensible election reform measures that would make it easier for Oklahomans to vote and give us more choices at the ballot box stand a shot of becoming law this session. Over a dozen electoral reform bills were filed this session, and five important measures have made it out of the House or Senate and now await action in committees in the second chamber. These bills are:
- SB 313 (Sen. David Holt/Rep.Gary Banz): Allows for online voter registration. Rising generations of voters are simply not used to a world where simple tasks like registering to vote must be done on paper. As of February 2014, 14 states offer fully online voter registration and another five states offer limited online access. While moving to online registration will have some limited start-up costs, the state has already received federal funds that can be used for this purpose, and over time, moving to an online system will save money. Click here for a blog post on the subject. BILL STATUS: Passed the Senate 37-2 and has been referred to the Appropriations and Budget General Government Subcommittee
- SB 315 (Sen. David Holt/Rep. Elise Hall): Allows voters to opt for permanent absentee voter status. The state already allows for absentee voting, but a new application must be filed each and every election. Absentee voting is preferred by many with physical disabilities, limited transportation, or other obstacles, or who appreciate more time to study the ballot. Under SB 315, a voter can choose to receive all ballots by mail until they opt to cancel their absentee voter status or a ballot is returned as undeliverable. BILL STATUS: Passed the Senate 38-7 and has been referred to the House Rules Committee.
- SB 173 (Sen. Jack Fry/Rep. Gary Banz): Raises the cap on the number of absentee ballots a notary can sign from 20 to 100. BILL STATUS: Passed the Senate 25-17 and has been referred to the House Elections and Ethics Committee.
- HB 2181 (Speaker Jeff Hickman/ Sen. Marty Quinn): Lowers the threshold for the number of signatures needed to gain recognition as a political party to 1 percent of the total votes cast in the last Governor’election. Currently Oklahoma has one of the most restrictive ballot access laws in the nation, which has served to keep all but two parties off the ballot. BILL STATUS: Passed the House 90-0 and has been referred to the Senate Rules Comittee.
- SB 312 Sen. David Holt/Rep. John Echols: Consolidates election dates for state and local candidates for office to two dates in the spring and two dates in the fall. Currently, elections can be held almost monthly, which serves to drive down turnout. BILL STATUS: Passed the Senate 45-0 and has been referred to the House Elections and Ethics Committee.
If you support these measures, now is a great time to contact your legislators and let them know.
Click here for the Together OK Election Reform page with basic Talking Points for each of the above bills.
Click here to find your legislators.
If you’re a member of an organization that supports increased civic participation, it would be especially helpful if your organization weighed in by formally endorsing these measures, contacting legislators, and writing an op-ed or letter to your local newspaper. Please let OK Policy know if you have suggestions or information to share, or if we can be of any help (info@okpolicy.org).
Thanks for your attention and commitment to strengthening Oklahoma’s democracy.
