voter registration

Potential Oklahoma voters have just over two weeks to register to vote and to verify that they won’t be locked out of this fall’s pivotal general election. 

The Oklahoma City Thunder announced a new initiative this week called Thunder Vote, which aims to ensure all eligible Oklahoma citizens are registered to vote, educated on candidates and issues and prepared to cast their ballots. 

Oklahoma, one of 10 states that doesn’t offer online voter registration, has seen a sharp decline in new voter sign-ups this year as COVID-19 has created new challenges for in-person get-out-the-vote efforts. 

Already one of the most conservative states in the nation, Oklahoma continues to grow redder.

Registered independents continue to be the fastest growing group of Oklahoma voters.

The State Election Board released figures Friday showing the number of registered Republicans and independents increased over the past two years, while the number of Democrats fell by about 6 percent.

“What we’ve seen over the past two years is that in terms of the net increase of voters, independents actually have the most, at a little over 28,000,” said state Election Board Secretary Paul Ziriax.

The Democratic leader in the Oklahoma Senate plans to introduce a bill to help increase voter participation in Oklahoma by allowing citizens to register to vote online.

State Sen. Randy Bass of Lawton held an interim study on the issue Thursday before the Senate Rules Committee and said afterward he planned to sponsor a bill in the upcoming session.

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, voters in about 20 states have the option of applying online to become a registered voter, but not in Oklahoma.

Oklahomans who want to cast a ballot in the Nov. 4 general election have until Friday to register to vote.

State Election Board Secretary Paul Ziriax reminded potential voters of the upcoming deadline, noting there are numerous high-profile races for state and federal offices, as well as many local elections.

A recent Attorney General’s Office opinion has deemed electronic signatures on voter registration applications invalid.

The technology, called the Allpoint Pen, allows someone to use their finger on an electronic tablet or a computer’s mouse to sign their name, State Election Board Secretary Paul Ziriax explained.

The device then mimics the person’s signature and places it on a document, in this case a voter registration application.

Oklahoma State Election Board Secretary Paul Ziriax says voters have until Friday Aug. 1 to register to vote in the Aug. 26 Runoff Primary Election.

Voter registration forms can be downloaded from the Oklahoma State Election Board's website. They are also available at county election boards, post offices, tag agencies, libraries and some other public locations.

Voters must either register in person or mail their registration forms in and have them postmarked by the deadline.