Gov. Stitt establishes task force to bolster election security and campaign finance integrity in Oklahoma
OKLAHOMA CITY (KOKH) — Gov. Kevin Stitt has issued Executive Order 2023-29, creating the Campaign Finance and Election Threats Task Force.
The purpose is to rigorously assess campaign finance, scrutinize foreign investment, and combat foreign interference in Oklahoma elections.
The task force is to identify how Oklahoma is leading the nation in election security, identify any campaign finance loopholes that need to be closed, identify the nature of any government interference in state elections, and design a mechanism or process for the state to detect the distribution of propaganda and disinformation that is against the peace and dignity of the state of Oklahoma.
"I'm proud to report that Oklahoma is a national leader in election integrity... but we must not rest on our laurels. Instead, we must ensure that our elections and political processes are not tainted by other government investment and interference" Stitt said.
The task force will be composed of nine members:
- The Chair, selected by the Gov. Sitt
- Paul Ziriax, Secretary of the State Election Board
- Josh Cockroft, Secretary of State
- A county election board member from a county with a population of 50,000 or more, selected by the Chair
- A county election board member from a county with a population of 49,999 or less, selected by the Chair
- The President Pro Tempore of the Senate, or designee
- The Speaker of the House, or designee
- Two at-large members, appointed by Gov. Stitt, with expertise in matters relating to campaign finance, election, privacy, or ethics.
In his 2023 State of the State Address, Gov. Stitt called for stronger transparency laws, "Protecting Oklahomans means protecting the integrity of our elections... A democracy is doomed when special interests can spread lies and leverage blank checks to buy elections".
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