Some Oklahomans are getting stopped from completing their online voter registration because Service Oklahoma cannot confirm citizenship. That doesn’t mean automatic disenfranchisement, but it does mean more steps are required to cast a ballot.
The fix is to submit a registration form with the county election board.
In Tulsa County, that’s between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at 12000 E. Skelly Drive, where forms are available in-person. Residents can also print an application from the Oklahoma Election Board site to take to the county office or mail to the Oklahoma State Election Board at P.O. Box 528800, Oklahoma City, OK, 73152.
Three voter registration deadlines remain: May 22 for the primary elections on June 16; July 31 for the Aug. 25 primary runoff elections; and Oct. 9 for the Nov. 3 general election.
The inability to confirm citizenship happens when public records on identification don’t match or are outdated. That can be because of name discrepancies, address changes or different birth dates.
“It’s important to note that this message reflects a verification issue within the online process and does not, on its own, determine or change an individual’s actual eligibility or voter registration status,” a Service Oklahoma spokesperson said by email.
Oklahoma law requires voters who register online to consent to an ID comparison with driver license or state-issued identification card. The National Voter Registration Act of 1993 requires motor vehicle agents to offer voter registration services to people applying, renewing or updating their driver license or state identification.
When it was created in 2022, Service Oklahoma took over doing those comparisons from the state Department of Public Safety. The division was created under the Oklahoma Management and Enterprise Services to unify and modernize driver license and motor vehicle services.
For Oklahomans wanting Service Oklahoma to have accurate information in their system, call 405-522-7000 or go to navigate.ok.gov and fill out the online form.
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