THE OKLAHOMAN, 3/9/25
Bill that dramatically changes initiative, referendum process clears Senate committee
At least one nationally recognized expert on the U.S. Constitution said the bill's restrictions on the initiative process are unconstitutional. Robert McCampbell, an Oklahoma City attorney who specializes in constitutional law, wrote that the bill was unconstitutional.'
"The bill includes provisions that restrict petition circulators, prohibit out-of-state contributions, grant broad discretionary power to the secretary of state over citizen-initiated petitions, and retroactively change the procedure for initiative petitions. Each of these provisions conflicts with well-established legal precedent," McCampbell wrote in a four-page memo analyzing the measure.
The government, McCampbell said, is not free to "impose burdensome roadblocks to the citizen initiative process."
"The courts are unanimous that circulating a petition is 'core political speech' where First Amendment protection is at its 'zenith," he wrote. "The restrictions on core political speech embodied in SB 1027 cannot survive scrutiny under the First Amendment."
Other opponents of the bill, echoing McCampbell, said SB 1027 would "make it dramatically harder for Oklahomans to bring issues directly to a vote, undermining one of the most fundamental avenues for public participation in policymaking."
"(The) vote to advance SB 1027 is a disappointing step backward for democracy in Oklahoma. By making it harder for citizens to bring issues to the ballot, lawmakers are silencing the voices of everyday Oklahomans and limiting public participation in policymaking," said Margaret Kobos, founder of Oklahoma United. "The right to petition is fundamental to our state's history and this bill adds unnecessary barriers that will make it nearly impossible for grassroots efforts to succeed."
TULSA WORLD EDITORIAL BOARD, 11/27/24
Editorial: Elections are for the American people, not political parties
"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."
OPINION: WILLIAM WERTZ, THE OKLAHOMAN, 11/26/24
'"Voters don't want the extremes," Edwards said in an interview with The Oklahoman. "The overall public is not hardline partisan. What I've been advocating for a long time now is to just open up the process instead of letting the activist groups narrow the voters' options. It's a democracy, so let anybody who wants to run, run, and then let all of the voters choose which one they like."'
The Hot Seat with Scott Mitchell, KWTV & KOTV, 11/23/24
Pat McFerron with Yes on 835 joined The Hot Seat with News On 6 political analyst Scott Mitchell to discuss Oklahoma's low voter turnout in the Presidential election and how a reform of Oklahoma's primary system could boost voter turnout.
To address this issue, Mitchell's guest, Pat McFerron, discussed the efforts of the "Yes on 835" group to reform Oklahoma's primary system. McFerron explained, "We're going to get rid of the exclusionary Republican and Democrat primaries and create one ballot. It's basically, it's how every city, town, community in Oklahoma does it."
THE FRONTIER, 11/12/24
One group thinks open primary elections in Oklahoma could boost voter turnout
A group is seeking to boost voter participation in Oklahoma by opening primary elections to all voters, regardless of political party.
State-level races are often decided in Republican primaries in Oklahoma, because there are no Independent or Democratic candidates on the ballot, leaving many voters locked out.
“Voters are showing up with nothing to vote for and all the meaningful decisions are happening in the primary.” said Jeremy Gruber, Senior Vice President at Open Primaries. “That’s why everyone needs a chance to participate.”
THE OKLAHOMAN, 11/4/24
Could independents swing Oklahoma election results? More voters say they're independent.
Should independents be able to vote in party primaries?
Kobos attributes the lack of political engagement to the inability of independents to vote in party primaries in Oklahoma. The Sooner State has a closed primary system.
Democrats have opened their primaries to independents, while Republicans and Libertarians have not. Primary elections not only drive the choices that voters see in November, but also voter participation, Kobos said.
OKLAHOMA VOICE, 11/6/24
Oklahoma voter turnout lowest in the nation, drops from previous presidential elections
Despite a record number of Oklahomans voting in the presidential election, turnout dropped
Despite record voter registration and early voting participation, Oklahoma had the lowest turnout rate among eligible voters in the country, one analysis found.
Oklahoma’s voting system ‘just doesn’t work, pollsters says
TULSA WORLD, 10/30/24
"I don't think our current system is sustainable," said longtime Oklahoma City pollster and strategist Pat McFerron. "It's not working. Our November election (participation) is 50th in the nation, and it's easy to see why. Our November elections don't matter.
"The reality is, a state senator represents 80,000 residents. If you can get 2,500 votes in your primary, you're probably going to win. That's 3%. … Our current system just doesn't work."
McFerron was part of a six-member Monday afternoon panel discussion that dealt primarily with changing Oklahoma's primary system to something closer to the way Tulsa and Oklahoma City elect mayors and city councilors.
