Oklahoma one of 10 states without online voter registration
Runoff elections are just a few weeks away, and Oklahoma is one of just 10 states that does not offer online voter registration.
OKLAHOMA CITY (KOKH) — Runoff elections are just a few weeks away, and Oklahoma is one of just 10 states that does not offer online voter registration.
In 2015, Oklahoma lawmakers passes a bill that would authorize online voter registration. Seven years later and it is still in the works.
"When the bill was first passed, we would have been one of the first halves of states to do online voter registration," said Senator Julia Kirt. "At this point, we may be one of the last states."
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, implementation of online registration normally takes 1-3 years on average, but that is not the case in Oklahoma.
A few things are slowing down the process according to Kirt.
"They're trying to create a system that will check voter eligibility at the same time and validate their identification when they're registering online. That system has taken a long time," Kirt said. "At first it was bogged down in the same challenges that the Department of Public Safety was having with the Real ID system. At this point, I'm not sure what's holding it back. But I just know that it's not a top priority because if it was a high priority, we would have gotten it done by now."
In 2020, Kirt filed Senate Bill (SB) 1282, to try and speed up the process.
"When I found out that it really wasn't about money, it was about it really getting done. I tried to file a bill that would put a deadline to that," Kirt said.
The bill stalled, but she hopes to file it again next year.
She says the goal of enacting online voter registration is to increase voter turnout.
"Oklahoma has one of the lowest participation rates in the country," Kirt said. "Of the people who are eligible to vote, we have a low rate of people who are actually registered, and of the people registered ,a low percentage turnout."
According to the legal defense fund, the South Dakota voter registration rate increased by over 500% after implementing online registration.
Run-off elections will take place on August 23rd. The deadline to register to vote in that election is this Friday, July 29th.
For more local news delivered straight to your inbox sign up for our daily newsletter by clicking here.