A group of Oklahomans wants to open the state’s primaries, allowing any voter to cast a ballot in any primary race — regardless of political party.
Volunteers with Oklahoma United, a nonpartisan grassroots nonprofit organization, are working to get State Question 836 on a future ballot. They have until Jan. 26 to collect nearly 173,000 signatures.
What will SQ 836 change about Oklahoma elections?
Oklahoma’s primaries are currently closed, meaning you must be a registered Republican or a registered Libertarian to vote in their primaries. However, Democrats allow independent voters to participate in their primaries. SQ 836 would create a single top-two primary and allow any registered voter to cast a ballot.
Caedmon Brooks, project coordinator of Oklahoma United, joined other volunteers at Guthrie Green for Food Truck Wednesday this week to spread the word. He says SQ 836 will make sure “every voter can vote.”
“Right now there are a lot of people who decide, ‘I want to go vote for John Doe,’ but they found out they can’t vote for them because they have a certain letter by their name,” said Brooks. “And we believe that is wrong.”
SQ 836 would not only open Oklahoma primaries but would automatically send the two primary candidates with the most votes straight to the general election — regardless of political party.
What are advocates and opponents saying about SQ 836?
Charity Linch, chairman of the Oklahoma Republican Party, is opposed to both changes under SQ 836. She says the group is using “propaganda” to push an “attack on the sovereignty of our parties.”
Linch is in favor of keeping the primaries closed with Democrats voting in their races and Republicans voting in theirs. She says party values differ.
“I don’t think that Democrats should be interfering with Republican elections anymore than I think Republicans should be interfering with Democrat elections,” Linch told the Flyer. “It is the same thing as China interfering with United States elections. It has no place in a society like this.”
Jake Spann, chairman of the Oklahoma Libertarian Party, agrees with Linch in part, saying this would take away any chance for third parties to appear on a major ballot.
“We believe that this is an incredibly irresponsible measure that actually limits democracy in our state and we hope it fails horribly,” Spann says.
Carol Hilborn, a volunteer with Oklahoma United, says after a 2018 teacher walkout she realized how much voting matters. She believes SQ836 would make sure all registered voters’ voices are heard.
A retired Tulsa County educator, Hilborn says the state’s political system is in a crisis and she wants to be a part of the change.
“In 836, everyone will vote on the same ballot. So, nobody is left out and the top two get to move on. That is fair,” Hilborn told the Flyer.
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