453,000 Oklahomans purged from voting registration rolls

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) - Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt alongside state election officials announced on Wednesday, the removal of over 453,500 voter registrations.

Since January 1, 2021 officials say, Oklahoma election officials have removed 97,065 deceased voters, 143,682 voters who moved out-of-state, 5,607 felons, 14,993 duplicate registrations, and 194,962 inactive voters who were canceled during the address verification process.

“Through close collaboration with the Governor’s Office, the State Election Board, and our colleagues in the Legislature, Oklahoma has fortified our electoral process. We’ve aggressively pursued policies to ensure voting is secure and accurate, and we’re innovating to protect our elections from emerging technology like AI. In Oklahoma, every eligible citizen will have their vote counted and their voice heard.”

Secretary of State Josh Cockroft

The Campaign Finance and Election Threats Task Force, formed in 2023 by Stitt says, citing numerous successful audits concluded Oklahoma's electoral process is one of the strongest in the nation.

“Oklahoma has a long tradition of doing elections right. Recounts and post-election audits have consistently proven the accuracy of Oklahoma’s voting system, and our laws and procedures are designed to ensure the integrity and security of our elections.”

Secretary of the State Election Board Paul Ziriax

Oklahoma Election Fast Facts released by Governor Stitt's office:

• Oklahoma continues the tradition of using hand-marked paper ballots which are counted by an e-scan tabulator.
• The e-scan vote tabulators do not have the capability to connect to the internet.
• Election officials work closely with Oklahoma Cyber Command to protect our election system from would-be attackers.
• During a recount or post-election audit, election results are confirmed by hand-counting paper ballots.
• The State and County Election Boards are bipartisan.
• In 2020, Governor Stitt signed SB 1779 to outlaw the practice of “ballot harvesting” and create new criminal penalties for violators.
• Oklahoma voter ID laws require proof of identity for every voter, regardless of whether you’re voting early, absentee, or in-person.
• Only United States citizens who are residents of Oklahoma may register to vote and state law explicitly prohibits noncitizens from accessing voter registration services.
• Poll watchers are commissioned by a candidate or the chair of a recognized political party to observe voting devices before and after the polls close.
• Polling places across Oklahoma are staffed by volunteers and voters just like you. Learn more about becoming a poll worker HERE.
• The deadline to register to vote in the November election is October 11, 2024. Oklahomans can register to vote HERE and check their voter registration status HERE.

Click here for more information on voting registration.