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Today’s Links:
Oklahoma passes new laws –
Making use of absentee ballots more complicated
Slightly increasing access to blind voters
Prohibiting any state body other than the legislature from making election law
You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.
Today we’re in Oklahoma, where new elections laws signed by Governor Kevin Stitt slightly improved voting access for some disabled citizens, but adds significant layer of complexity to absentee ballot voting.
After the Oklahoma legislature patted themselves on the back in 2021 for an added day of in-person early voting and allowing for early voting on Saturdays, the newly-signed House Bill 3364 requires a code, retained in a government voter file accessible to local election officials, to be added by the voter on the absentee ballot. No code, no vote. And if your voter record doesn’t have a code on file? Your absentee ballot won’t be counted.
Another bill, HB 1711, does allow for a ballot to be distributed electronically to the blind, but makes no provision to return the ballot electronically. All absentee ballots must be either mailed or returned in person.
Also concerning is Oklahoma’s new law giving the legislature the last word on election rules. Senate Bill 523 prohibits any branch of state government, including the Oklahoma elections board from modifying state statute, and allows legislative leadership to act as “intervenors” in challenges to election law. Such laws are being implemented around the country and are seen by pro-voter groups as enabling partisan interference in election results.
Oklahoma absentee ballot voters should check with their election officials to make sure they have the proper code to exercise their freedom to vote.
We have links to details to these new laws on at our website, AmericanDemocracyMinute.org/
Granny D said, “Democracy is not something we have, it’s something we DO.”
For the American Democracy Minute, I’m Brian Beihl.