The Voter Purge

Let's Pod This

Yesterday, Governor Stitt and state election officials released a statement about election security and the state's efforts to maintain accurate voter rolls. While accurate, the way the Governor presented the data has caused concern, so we want to clear up a few things.

Oklahoma did not purge 453K voters this week.

The way this has been presented made some people believe this was a recent purge, however, the truth is that 453K is the total number of voters who were removed from 2021 to present. Voter list maintenance is done monthly, and voters may be removed from voter rolls for many reasons - often because they've moved out of state, died, or became ineligible for some reason. Some voters are removed because they have not voted in many years (more on that below).

Voter list maintenance is good and normal.

Every state is required to maintain a clean & accurate voter list, and it's an enormous task. Oklahoma currently has nearly 2.4 million registered voters, but that number changes every single day. Voters are constantly moving within the state and between states, voters die, change their name, and change their party affiliation. Some voters become ineligble due to felony convictions and others regain their eligibility once they complete their sentences. And some voters become inactive because they do not participate for a long period of time. It's a constantly changing list, and keeping it as current as possible is good for everyone.

When does list maintenance occur?

The Oklahoma State Election Board does list maintenance on an ongoing basis and publishes monthly reports with details about how many voters were added, removed, and updated. You can view the August report here.

What about "inactive" voters?

State and federal laws require the State Election Board to contact voters who have not voted in a while. In Oklahoma, a voter is considered "inactive" if they have not voted in four general election cycles - in other words, if they have not voted in any election for 8 consecutive years. Here's how it works:

1. In the year after a general election, the state will send the address confirmation to voters who haven’t cast a ballot in either of the last two general elections or any state or local elections in that 4-year time period.
2. If the voter doesn’t respond within 60 days of receiving the letter, they are put on “inactive status” but are still registered and are still able to vote. The voter can regain their active status at any time by voting in any election or updating their voter registration information.
3. If the voter, while on inactive status, doesn’t participate in an election for two more general election cycles (4 additional years), their voter registration will then be removed and they will need to re-register if they want to vote again.

This means that any inactive voter who is being purged this year hasn't voted in any election since 2018 and didn't respond to the notification mailer from the State Election Board.

Do other states also remove voters in a similar manner?

Yes, although the process varies from state to state. All states strive to maintain accurate voter lists.

Do we need to remove inactive voters?

Some argue that no voter should ever be removed, even if they're inactive, because it's an infringement on voting rights. Others argue that we should purge voters even more quickly than we do already. Our position is that list maintenance is important provided that the state makes attempts to engage with inactive voters. Oklahoma's current system meets these requirements.

We also believe that if the state is going to take action to remove voters then it should take greater action to register new ones, such as by enacting automatic voter registration when someone turns 18, becomes a US citizen, and anytime a eligible person interacts with any state agency.

Why isn't there a nationwide voter database?

There is...kind of. In 2012, a bipartisan, nonprofit organization called the Electronic Registration Information Center, or ERIC, was created to be a clearinghouse for voter data between states. Unfortunately, due to rumors and conspiracy theories, a number of states have pulled out of ERIC and did so without a good alternative. This NPR article from October 2023 provides a great overview.

How do I know if I'm still registered?

You can easily check your voter registration status by using the Oklahoma Voter Portal or the Let's Fix This Voter Hub.

Anything else I should know?

We encourage everyone to read the Governor's full statement, as it really does highlight the sound management of Oklahoma's election system from beginning to end, including the security of our voting machines, paper ballots, and election audit process. There is a lot of misinformation about elections floating around this year - you can play a role in correcting the misinformation and being a resource for your friends and family.

Do I wish the Governor had phrased things differently? Yes, of course. But perhaps there is a silver lining - if people think they're being purged, maybe it will prompt them to update their voter registration and to vote!