our ISSUES
Let’s be honest - there’s a whole bunch of stuff we’d like to see fixed in Oklahoma, but the most important issues facing Oklahomans today are the ones that deal with the very fabric of our democracy. Our great nation has been the bulwark of democracy for more than 250 years, but over time it’s been battered, bruised, and in need of repair. Together, we can do just that.
The following reforms would restore dignity and respect to our democracy by ensuring that all eligible voters are able to vote safely, easily, and securely and that they are able to cast their ballot for the candidates of their choosing.
Automatic voter registration. Registering to vote shouldn’t be hard. In fact, it could be done automatically. Eligible voters should be automatically registered to vote when they turn 18 years old and renew their driver’s license. It shouldn’t require an additional form that you have to manually fill out and mail in.
Same day voter registration. If, by some chance, an eligible voter isn’t registered at the time of an election - like if they just recently moved to the area - we believe they they should be allowed to register right there, on the spot. They should be allowed to register with the local polling official and then cast a provisional ballot, salute the flag, and march on home, full of patriotic pride knowing that they did their civic duty.
Expanded early voting days/times. As Oklahoma grows in population and more and more people want to do their civic duty and vote, lines at the polls keep getting longer and longer. While we already have early voting available, often those lines are prohibitively long, too. We think early voting should be expanded to a full week prior to Election Day so that every Oklahoman has adequate opportunity to cast their ballot.
Consolidated election days. Somewhere in Oklahoma has an election nearly every month. They happen so often and seemingly so randomly, it’s hard to keep track, even for political nerds like us. We believe elections should be consolidated and scheduled no more than quarterly, being held on the first Tuesday after the first of the month in the months of February, May, August, and November.
Elimination of straight-party voting. To some, straight-party voting can be confusing. To others, it can be unfair. We believe that both are probably true, ad moreover, voters should be required to color in the box for each candidate individually. They ran a hard race, they deserve our effort.
Open primaries. Voter apathy and disengagement is a drain on our democracy. Current Oklahoma law allows the political parties to determine who gets to vote for their candidates in primary elections. Elections are paid for with all of our tax dollars, so why do private groups get to say who gets to vote? We believe every voter should be allowed to vote for whichever candidate they feel is most qualified for the position, regardless of the voter’s party affiliation (or lack thereof).
Independent redistricting. Every ten years there’s a national census, and following year that data is used to redraw all the Congressional, state legislative, and county and municipal electoral districts in a Constitutionally-required process called “redistricting.” Currently, Oklahoma law allows the state legislature to redraw the districts - the very districts in which they serve. That’s just asking for trouble, and often leads to gerrymandering, which is when the lines are drawn in a way that is politically advantageous for the incumbent. We believe that politicians shouldn’t be allowed to draw their own districts and instead, redistricting should be done by a citizen-led independent commission.
Subject the legislature to the Open Records Act. Did you know that virtually every state agency and publicly-funded organization is subject to the Open Records Act except the state legislature? That’s right - when the law was passed, they exempted themselves. They’re paid with our tax dollars and they decide where our tax dollars go - but they get to do it all in secret. We believe the law should be amended so that all state entities - including the legislature - must comply.