As conservatives focus on local school boards, Oklahoma lawmakers discuss moving elections

The deputy state director for the conservative political lobbying group Americans for Prosperity argued Tuesday for Oklahoma to move local school board elections to align with the election calendar for federal and state offices.

Bradley Ward, who once worked for the Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency at the state Capitol, was the only presenter during a 30-minute-long interim study conducted by the House Election and Ethics Committee and led by Rep. Chris Banning, R-Bixby.

Banning is a proponent of changing the dates of school board elections, saying doing so will increase voter turnout and save taxpayer money now being spent conducting separate elections. During the just-completed legislative session, multiple conservative groups, including AFP, put a focus on local elections such as school board races.

Critics of the idea say moving the elections could have the effect of injecting partisan politics into what are nonpartisan races.

Oklahoma law now mandates school board elections to be held in February (for primaries) and April (for the general election). Low turnout can be an issue, as evidenced by election results from April.

More: When does early voting start in Oklahoma? Key dates for 2024 presidential election

Among the examples cited by Ward on Tuesday was a race for a seat on the board of Oklahoma City Public Schools, the state’s second-largest district, with about 33,000 students. In that race, 350 people cast ballots, with Jessica Cifuentes beating incumbent Cary Pirrong 233-117. A race for a seat on the Mid-Del Schools board drew 681 of a possible 16,679 voters, or 4%.

“Electing a school board member with just 2% of voter turnout is not conducive to the needs of one of the state’s largest school districts, as it undermines democratic representation and fails to capture the diverse perspectives of the community that the board ultimately serves,” Ward said.

Ward, citing Oklahoma State Election Board data, said about 6% of voters turned out for school board elections in April, compared to 11% in municipal elections in August, 17% in the presidential primary in March and 69% in the 2020 presidential general election.

Opinion: Compromises between students, parents, educators could address cellphone issues

Ward said Oklahoma is one of 12 states to have mandated non-November school board elections. Thirteen other states mandate such elections in November of even-numbered years, which would align with election for federal elections. Among those are Michigan, which he used as an example during his presentation. Sixteen states mandate elections in November of odd-numbered years.

Using data from the Oklahoma Cost Accounting System, Ward said Oklahoma school districts spent about $16.9 million on board elections this year, money he said could be reallocated toward other education purposes if board elections are moved. That is assuming the state election board would assume the costs of having a local election item on the same ballot. A spokeswoman for the Oklahoma State Election Board didn’t immediately return a call seeking clarity on that question.

Two bills aiming to move Oklahoma school board election dates – one filed by Banning, the other by state Sen. Ally Seifried, R-Claremore – didn’t make it through the legislative process this year. Banning indicated he plans to file a similar bill for the 2025 session of the state Legislature.

Banning said his measure would have two nonpartisan goals: “It has no other meaning other than to increase voter turnout and save the schools millions, and we’ll also have an accurate representation of the community when those school board members are voted in.”

Start your morning informed: Sign up for The Oklahoman’s Daily Briefing newsletter

Democrat on committee says push to move elections is about GOP ‘retaining power’

The lone Democrat at the meeting table Tuesday was Rep. Mickey Dollens, R-Oklahoma City. He told The Oklahoman afterward he understood Banning’s desire to save money on conducting elections, “but I think it’s more focused on retaining power, otherwise (they) would also advocate for municipal elections to be put on the general election ballot as well.”

Dollens said he likes the current system because partisan politics usually don’t come into play, given that school board elections are “hyper-localized.”

“In this current political environment, we’re already so polarized and divisive. It’s nice to have our municipal elections be separate,” he said.

He suggested better civic education in schools – and perhaps a public messaging campaign on the importance of local elections – might be a solution to the issue of low turnout.

“Each district has its own nuances and its own special needs,” Dollens said. “For highly informed voters, or anyone for that matter, to research the candidates without having all of the other noise around a general election, I feel is a good thing.“