27th November 2024
By the Tulsa World Editorial Board
Elections in America are for the people, not political parties, and a citizen’s petition effort would bring that principle back to Oklahoma ballots.
Voters have a chance to realign Oklahoma’s elections with a unified ballot, which the grassroots group Oklahoma United is putting through a citizen petition process. If all goes without a hitch, voters will decide on State Question 835 in November 2026.
The change would make state elections resemble municipal and school board elections. It’s simple: Anyone who wants to run for state office would put their name forward with their political designation, and every eligible voter would select from the ballot of all candidates. The top two winners would move to a general election.
That could result in two Republicans, two Democrats, one of each or an independent or Libertarian making the final ballot. Importantly, all voters would have a chance to choose from all candidates.
It’s a free market idea in elections.
Oklahoma taxpayers pay for the current closed primary elections, which is unfair to the tens of thousands of voters who are unable to cast a ballot because they are of a different party or unaffiliated. This would stop the disenfranchisement.
Elections would focus more on the candidates and their views than on their parties. Candidates would not have to get the blessing of a political party for voters to consider them for office.
As expected, the pushback from some Republican Party leaders has been swift. Democratic Party leaders have largely been silent, but they opened their party’s primaries to independents a few years ago.
What those opposing the measure are asking is for taxpayers to continue paying for their primaries while keeping half the electorate from participating. They can’t have it both ways.
Under this change, nothing would stop a political party from endorsing a candidate, chosen at their expense. If the party is strong, that choice will hold weight with voters. However, other candidates from the party would be allowed on the ballot if they wanted to run.
The state has ranked last in the nation in voter participation for the past two presidential elections. More than 70% of legislative seats in the last four election cycles have been decided in primaries or were uncontested.
Oklahoma is one of only 12 states with closed primaries and one of six with straight-party voting; 38 states have some form of an open primary in which independents are allowed to vote.
The outdated, restrictive primary system is partly to blame for voter disinterest. It’s led to overall voter apathy and candidates catering to an extreme end of party politics.
Many conservatives, particularly those who have been elected on nonpartisan or unified ballots, are backing the effort. That includes Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum and Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt.
The process for the state questions is just beginning. The initiative petition has been filed with the Secretary of State’s Office. After a start date is set, organizers will have 90 days to collect at least 172,993 signatures to get SQ 835 on ballots for a statewide vote.
As we have previously noted: Oklahomans embrace their freedoms, and that’s what this is about — the freedom to seek office and the freedom to vote, regardless of fealty to political party bosses.