TRANSCRIPT
Dick Pryor: This is Capitol Insider - taking you inside politics, policy, and government in Oklahoma. I'm Dick Pryor with Quorum Call publisher Shawn Ashley. Our guest is Dr. Emily Stacey, political science professor and program coordinator for political science at Rose State College. Thanks for joining us today.
Dr. Emily Stacey: Thank you for having me.
Shawn Ashley: Dr. Stacey, the statewide general election is just over six weeks away. Oklahoma is at or near the bottom of all states in the percentage of eligible voters who vote. Are younger voters like your students showing interest in this year's elections?
Dr. Emily Stacey: They are. The politics of the state but more pointedly the nation have provided a lot of impetus for my students to participate and to really be engaged this election cycle.
Dick Pryor: So, what are they saying that makes them interested in this year's elections or what is turning them off?
Dr. Emily Stacey: A lot of it is emotional, you know, anger to disaffection, right, in terms of the emotions. But the personal impact of issues like affordability, data center politics, which is a new one that's cropping up here in the state of Oklahoma, is of interest to my students as well. The opportunity just to decide a new governor and potentially a new way forward for the state have really been drivers of conversation and certainly voter registration and participation on campus.
In terms of turnoffs - dark money - that's a continuing conversation over the decades, but more recently, the use of dark money for artificial intelligence-created advertising. So, those AI ads are really doing sort of a disservice to a generation that's chronically online and well-versed in the digital. Those ads are actually having more of a negative impact on them than engagement.
Shawn Ashley: You mentioned affordability, data centers, and AI ads. Are there any other issues on your students' minds heading into November?
Dr. Emily Stacey: Affordability is really number one. Access to health care is another huge one. It is interesting, I think, for folks to hear that college students, at least in these parts, are not necessarily concerned about some of the more "woke" issues or the DSA-touted policy issues that a lot of folks would think about. My students are trying to carry on day to day. And so those kitchen table issues are really what they're interested in.
Dick Pryor: This is a midterm election year with no national presidential race, but all Oklahoma statewide offices except auditor and inspector will be decided in the general election. How enthusiastic and knowledgeable would you say college students are about state and local races?
Dr. Emily Stacey: I hear most about the gubernatorial race and the state superintendent race. Those are the two races I hear most about at the statewide level, but unfortunately it's difficult I think for typical Oklahomans, including my college students, to sort of keep up at the kind of detail that they need to, so.
Shawn Ashley: In terms of campaign strategy, what do candidates need to do to win the votes of college-age students?
Dr. Emily Stacey: Understand who they are fundamentally, you know, care about what they care about or at least understand and acknowledge what they care about. Seeking non-boomer to, you know, an electorate that is you know largely millennial, Gen Z, Gen Alpha as we know go forward. The campaigns have been geared toward you know the older generation, the boomer generation and so you know, the largest part of our electorate at this point are, you know, millennials and the younger generation, Gen Z. So, I think it's incumbent upon statewide parties as well as the national parties to really recognize who the voters are and speak directly to the issues that they care about.
Dick Pryor: Is it difficult for college students to vote in Oklahoma?
Dr. Emily Stacey: It's not. We make it pretty easy to access the ballot. The lack of turnout is really a candidate party policy issue to be quite honest. Again, going back to your last question. The parties in the state and at the national level are not putting forth candidates that are speaking to this generation and to the things that they really care about. And so, recognizing that that electorate has changed and speaking to the issues that they care about, I credit that to be the reason why we don't have as much youth turnout in this state.
Shawn Ashley: We talked to Paul Ziriax back before the primary election and we'll probably talk to him again before the general. He's always encouraging folks to make a voting plan.
Dr. Emily Stacey: Same.
Shawn Ashley: What do you recommend students do in terms of a voting plan?
Dr. Emily Stacey: Right? Number one, know your status. Are you registered? Where are you registered, right? Check that election board website. Make sure you know where you're going. Secondarily, why are you going? What are you going for? Do your research, right. Your candidates, know your issues, the state questions, your judicial records. Know why you're gonna vote for the person or the issues that you're voting for.
Again, know where your polling place is. Make sure that you are allotting yourself enough time to stand in line to be an active participant in your democracy. So again, know your status, right? Make sure you've got that ID and know where you're going, know why you're going, have that research done, know why you are voting the way you're voting, and then make sure that you're getting there early. Don't vote early and often. Just be there early, right, and take advantage of those early voting days or absentee balloting, you know, while we still, while we still have it. Take advantage of those things.
Dick Pryor: And make sure to vote.
Dr. Emily Stacey: Amen!
Dick Pryor: Dr. Emily Stacey, program coordinator for political science at Rose State College, thank you for being with us.
Dr. Emily Stacey: Thank you so much. I appreciate y'all.
Dick Pryor: For more information, go to quorumcall.online. You can find video of Capitol Insider segments on the KGOU You Tube channel. Audio and transcripts are at kgou.org and look for Capitol Insider where you get podcasts. Until next time, with Shawn Ashley, I'm Dick Pryor.
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