Oklahoma

Who are Oklahoma’s deleted voters? State provides data breaking it down by party. • Oklahoma Voice

Published

3 months ago

September 25, 2024

Who are Oklahoma’s deleted voters? State provides data breaking it down by party. • Oklahoma Voice

OKLAHOMA CITY — Hundreds of thousands of Oklahomans whose voter registration was deleted in recent years roughly reflect the overall layout of party affiliation in the state, though Democrats and independents were overrepresented among voters deleted for inactivity.

Of the voters removed in the past 24 months, 46.6% were Republicans, 31.2% were Democrats, 21.4% were independents and 0.79% were Libertarians, according to an analysis by Oklahoma Voice of records available from the state Election Data Warehouse. This generally tracks with party affiliation trends of Oklahoma voters who are still registered.

Over the past two years, Oklahoma removed 241,113 people from voter rolls, according to the state Election Data Warehouse, which keeps detailed records of deleted voters for 24 months after removal. The state recently announced more than 453,000 voter registrations have been removed through routine auditing since Jan. 1, 2021, a span of time that extends beyond legally required recordkeeping.

More than 2.38 million people are registered to vote in Oklahoma. Most voters who have been removed can register again. Those who wish to cast a ballot in the Nov. 5 General Election must register by Oct. 11.

The most common reason that registrations were deleted is because the voter moved to a different county or state, according to Data Warehouse records.

The second-most common deletions were for inactive voters, a group that differs more noticeably from party affiliation lines. Others were removed because they have died, been convicted of a felony or were deemed in court to be mentally incapacitated, among other less-common reasons.

A voter fills out a ballot at a polling place in St. Luke’s Methodist Church in Oklahoma City on Aug. 27. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice)

State records show 83,701 voter registrations were deleted for inactivity. Most of these Oklahomans haven’t voted since 2016 or before, data shows.

Just under half of deleted inactive voters were from the same four counties: Oklahoma, Tulsa, Cleveland and Canadian, the only four counties in the state with 100,000 or more registered voters. About 55% of inactivity deletions came from less populous counties, according to a review of Election Warehouse data.

Democrats and independents made up a larger share of deleted inactive voters than their proportion of Oklahoma voters overall. While Democrats represent about 27.5% of registered voters in the state, they made up 34% of registrations deleted for inactivity.

The numbers are even more disproportionate for independents, who represent 30% of the deleted inactive voters but make up only 19.5% of total registered voters in Oklahoma.

Meanwhile, about 52% of Oklahomans are registered Republicans, and about 35% of voters deleted for inactivity were registered with the GOP.

It’s no surprise that Democrats and independents show greater inactivity than Republicans in Oklahoma, said Pat McFerron, a conservative campaign consultant and polling expert.

The vast majority of consequential partisan elections in Oklahoma are decided in Republican primaries, well before Democrats and independents get the chance to weigh in, McFerron said. Very few General Election races in the state are competitive enough to be decided by 10% or less of the vote.

A voter chats with an election judge after casting his vote in the Millwood Field House in Oklahoma City for a June 18 primary election. (Photo by Emma Murphy/Oklahoma Voice)

When pollsters like McFerron call inactive voters, many say they’re unlikely to vote because they’re not interested in government and politics, he said, and the other common response is “they just don’t think their vote matters.”

Only the Democratic Party in Oklahoma has opened its primary elections to independent voters. The state’s Republican and Libertarian parties have not.

Implementing open or unified primaries could help engage more people, McFerron said. These concepts would allow registered voters to participate in primary elections regardless of their party affiliation, and it could make every candidate accountable to every voter.

A campaign to bring open or unified elections to Oklahoma is underway. McFerron said he is working with the initiative.

“Oklahoma is now 50th in the nation in voter turnout for November elections, and if we don’t do something to change it, we’re going to continue to have less and less civic engagement,” McFerron said.

Democratic campaign consultant Adam Graham agreed that open primaries could be a significant help, as would automatic voter registration or other measures to make it easier to register to vote.

Campaign messaging also must improve, he said.

Candidates of both parties are pushing to the extreme ends of the political spectrum and are too focused on culture-war issues, Graham said. That leaves moderate voters feeling left out and less inclined to show up to the polls.

“I think we’ve got to start giving voters a message from candidates that they are interested in hearing about,” Graham said. “Property taxes, groceries, schools, teachers being paid. We’ve got to get back to the nuts and bolts of state government.”

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Oklahoma

Firefighters respond to commercial fire in Oklahoma City

Published

5 hours ago

December 22, 2024

Press Room

Firefighters respond to commercial fire in Oklahoma City

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – The Oklahoma City Fire Department responded to a commercial fire near the area of NW 10th and N Western Avenue.

OKCFD were at the scene of a commercial fire around 7 p.m. Saturday night, when they arrived there was heavy smoke visible from multiple floors of a boarded up building.

One adult female was found in the building and taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation.

At this time no cause has been reported.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City.

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Oklahoma

Navy Coach Brian Newberry Talks Oklahoma Prep, Going for 10 Wins

Published

13 hours ago

December 21, 2024

Press Room

Navy Coach Brian Newberry Talks Oklahoma Prep, Going for 10 Wins

NORMAN — Bowl season is a bit unconventional for Navy.

The Midshipmen annually play against Army six days after the bowl schedule is released. That was the case this year, as Navy beat the Black Knights 31-13 on Dec. 14.

Beating Army is always a highlight for the Midshipmen. But the drawback for them is that they have less time than their bowl opponent to prepare for the game.

In this case, that’s Oklahoma. The Sooners will enter the game with more than two weeks of preparation for Navy’s triple-option offense.

“It’s just a little different,” Navy coach Brian Newberry told reporters earlier this week. “They’ve known they’re going to play us for a little time now.”

Navy Coach, Oklahoma Native Brian Newberry Grew Up On OU Football

Navy does, however, enter the Armed Forces Bowl with momentum.

The Midshipmen (9-3) eased past Army last week in Landover, MD. They outgained the Black Knights 384-179 and forced Army quarterback Bryson Daily to throw three interceptions.

Navy’s rivalry win was its third in the last four games after the Midshipmen went on a two-game skid in the middle of the season. Newberry cited his team’s physicality in recent games, particularly in the Midshipmen’s drubbing of Army.

“I was so impressed with how our kids handled the moment,” Newberry said. “Army’s a really, really good football team. I thought we physically dominated the game in the way that we blocked, beat blocks, the way we tackled. I thought we outplayed them in all three phases, so I’m really, really proud of that.”

A stark difference between the teams is the number of players that have entered the transfer portal.

The Sooners have seen 25 players from their 2024 team enter the portal. The Midshipmen have suffered only one departure in the winter portal window with defensive back Lorenzo Vitti.

On one hand, that makes Oklahoma preparation tough for Navy.

“It’s interesting,” Newberry said. “We’re going through their two-deep and trying to figure out who’s going to play and who isn’t. It’s a little bit of a challenge in that regard. And it could certainly change with a different quarterback.”

But largely, the Midshipmen’s lack of transfers gives Newberry confidence that his team will be bought in for one more game in 2024.

“The portal can affect us, players can jump in the portal — we’re not getting that,” Newberry said. “It’s challenging to build a culture anywhere in college football right now, one that’s built on a certain level of trust. They know each other really, really well. They’ve fought through adversity. They stay the course, they pay the price and they have an opportunity.”

Navy will also play for more than just another win; the Midshipmen are looking to make history.

Navy has reached the 10-win mark just four times in program history. The Midshipmen did so three times under former coach Ken Niumatalolo from 2009-2019.

Having a shot at history while playing Oklahoma — the state that Newberry hails from — excites the coach.

“It’s the last time that this team gets to play together,” Newberry said. “They want to go out the right way against a storied program like Oklahoma. It’s a great reward to play in a bowl game, but it’s a game we want to win.”

The Midshipmen and Sooners will play in the Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth at 11 a.m. on Dec. 27.

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Oklahoma LB Kip Lewis Sees Armed Forces Bowl as Growth Opportunity

Published

21 hours ago

December 21, 2024

Press Room

Oklahoma LB Kip Lewis Sees Armed Forces Bowl as Growth Opportunity

As Danny Stutsman departs from Oklahoma, Kip Lewis seems to be the next man up.

A redshirt sophomore linebacker in 2024, Lewis was one of the Sooners’ better defenders. In addition to his 28 solo tackles, Lewis intercepted two passes, running both of them back for touchdowns.

Lewis hopes to be the leader that Stutsman was over his four years at OU. But his goal isn’t to be a Stutsman clone.

“I feel like I’m my own player and my own leader in how I do things,” Lewis said. “Danny’s a great player, great leader. Taught me everything I need to know. I think I’m just my own person. I don’t think I need to step into his role and be the Danny. There’s only one.”

Lewis played and started in all 12 of the Sooners’ games in the 2024 season. It was his second season as a regular on OU’s defense after playing in just two games as a true freshman.

In Oklahoma’s first season as an SEC squad, Lewis and his defensive counterparts saw plenty of offensive stars. Between Garrett Nussmeier at LSU and Quinn Ewers at Texas, there was never really a dull moment for the Sooners during conference play.

Lewis will see a different type of challenge at the Armed Forces Bowl against Navy.

WATCH: Navy HC Brian Newberry Ahead of Armed Forces Bowl vs. Oklahoma

The Midshipmen — like the other service academies — run a triple-option offense. While Navy, Army and Air Force struggle to get the highly-touted recruits that other programs draw, the unconventional offense sets them apart.

Thankfully for Lewis, this style of offense isn’t new.

“I’m a little used to it. So it’s been a minute since I played it, but it brought me back to my roots playing the Wing-T. There’s a team called Pleasant Grove out there in Texas, so they used to give me a run for my money back in the day.”

Navy finished the regular season 9-3. The Midshipmen started the season 6-0 before losing three times in a four-game span.

They ended the season well, though, beating both East Carolina and Army by double digits to end the regular season.

Lewis and multiple of his teammates tuned in as the Midshipmen beat Army in the annual rivalry game.

“They showed a lot of fight, a lot of grit,” Lewis said. “I think that’s an important key into playing football.”

Lewis will play only one more game as an underclassman. Then, he’ll step into the role of other defensive leaders the Sooners have seen recently, whether that’s Stutsman, Billy Bowman Jr., Woodi Washington or others.

Games like the Armed Forces Bowl will help him get there.

“Just always having to bring my best effort every day,” Lewis said. “Just bringing everything I’ve got. Just every day, I bring my value into whatever that is, whatever I’ve gotta do for my team. I think it’ll be a big role.”

The Sooners will battle the Midshipmen on Dec. 27 in Fort Worth. The game is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m.

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