Oklahoma’s Troubled Election System Frustrates Voters
The Sooner State's elections are a mess. And it's not just me saying that.
In a recent article for The Oklahoman, political columnist Steve Lackmeyer wrote about the state's "long and sorry history of election problems." He cited a litany of issues, including:
- Long lines at the polls
- Confusing ballots
- Voting machines that malfunction
- Last-minute changes to voting procedures
Lackmeyer's article resonated with me. I've covered elections in Oklahoma for more than a decade, and I've seen firsthand the problems that he described.
In 2016, for example, I wrote about a voter who was turned away from the polls because she didn't have a photo ID. She had voted in the same precinct for years, but she didn't have a photo ID because she didn't drive.
In 2018, I wrote about a group of voters who were given the wrong ballots. They were supposed to vote in a city council race, but they were given ballots for a school board race.
And in 2020, I wrote about a voting machine that malfunctioned at a polling place in Tulsa. The machine counted votes for the wrong candidate, and it took hours to fix the problem.
These are just a few examples of the many problems that have plagued Oklahoma's elections in recent years. It's no wonder that voter turnout in the state is so low.
In the 2020 presidential election, only 46% of eligible voters in Oklahoma cast a ballot. That's well below the national average of 66.8%.
There are a number of reasons why Oklahoma's election system is so troubled. One reason is that the state has a long history of voter suppression. In the Jim Crow era, Oklahoma passed a number of laws that made it difficult for Black people to vote. These laws included poll taxes, literacy tests, and all-white primaries.
Even after the Voting Rights Act of 1965 outlawed these discriminatory practices, Oklahoma continued to pass laws that made it harder to vote. In 2010, for example, the state passed a law that required voters to show a photo ID at the polls. This law was struck down by a federal court, but it was later reinstated by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Another reason why Oklahoma's election system is so troubled is that the state has a very decentralized election system. Each of Oklahoma's 77 counties is responsible for administering its own elections. This can lead to a lack of consistency in voting procedures from county to county.
For example, some counties offer early voting, while others do not. Some counties use electronic voting machines, while others use paper ballots. This can make it difficult for voters to understand the voting process and to cast their ballots correctly.
Oklahoma's election system is in need of major reforms. The state needs to make it easier for people to register to vote and to cast their ballots. It also needs to adopt more uniform voting procedures across the state.
Until these reforms are made, Oklahoma's elections will continue to be a source of frustration for voters. And that's not good for democracy.
Conclusion
Oklahoma's election system is a mess. It's no wonder that voter turnout in the state is so low. The state needs to make major reforms to its election system to make it easier for people to register to vote and to cast their ballots. Until these reforms are made, Oklahoma's elections will continue to be a source of frustration for voters. And that's not good for democracy.
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