Constitutional Amendment Would Reform and Replace Oklahoma’s Closed Primaries
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 19, 2024
Media Contact: Alex Weintz; aweintz@amberintegrated.com; 914.282.3229
OKLAHOMA CITY – Supporters gathered at the Oklahoma History Center this morning to celebrate the filing of an initiative petition that proposes to reform and replace the state’s current closed primary election system with open primaries. In an open primary, all voters
– regardless of party – would be able to vote in a single primary election in which all candidates appear on one ballot. The top two vote-getters move onto a general election.
If the effort is successful, open primaries would replace the current closed primary system, in which the Republican, Democrat and Libertarian parties hold partisan elections for their own members. Closed primaries are often blamed for low voter turnout and civic disengagement, increased political polarization, and the literal disenfranchisement of many voters, especially independents.
The initiative petition was filed with the Secretary of State’s office Monday afternoon, which shortly thereafter assigned it the ballot number “State Question 835.” The campaign committee in support of the effort will be “Vote Yes 835.” Once the Oklahoma Secretary of State sets a start date, the committee will have 90 days to collect at least 172,993 signatures before it can be put to a vote of the people. November 2026 is the next statewide general election date.
The petition was filed by three proponents: Anthony Stobbe, an Edmond resident and 20-year veteran of the United States Coast Guard; Yvonne Galvan, a non-profit worker from Oklahoma City; and Kenneth Setter, a retired Tulsa pediatrician. Stobbe is an independent, Setter is a Republican, and Galvan is a Democrat.
“I love this country and served for twenty years in uniform, but as an independent I don’t have a voice,” said Stobbe. “In Oklahoma, the elections that matter are the primaries, which my tax dollars pay for, but I can’t vote in them. That is not right, and we are going to change that so that every Oklahoman has a meaningful voice in our democracy.”
Independents like Stobbe are part of the fastest growing voter bloc in the state. There are over 480,000 independents in Oklahoma (roughly one-in-five voters).
Oklahoma United Founder and CEO Margaret Kobos thanked the petitioners for beginning the process of delivering meaningful reform and asked Oklahomans to support the cause.
“Oklahoma is dead last in the nation when it comes to voting participation,” said Kobos. “That’s because we are intentionally excluding people from primary elections while holding November elections that are virtually meaningless. That’s a recipe for citizen apathy and democratic decline. State Question 835 is the solution.”
Former Republican State Senator A.J. Griffin told supporters at the History Center that a unified ballot would encourage elected officials to engage with a larger number of their constituents.
“As an elected official, your responsibility is to serve and represent all of your constituents,” said Griffin. “However, our current closed primary system pushes officeholders to cater to an ever-narrowing group of partisan voters. What we’re proposing is a system where every voter’s voice is heard, and every elected official earns the support of a majority. By reforming this system, we can ensure that politicians focus on the needs and priorities of the entire community, not just the interests of their political party.”
Dr. Donnie Nero, former president of Connors State College, who is retired today in Clearview, Oklahoma, said younger and rural Oklahomans were increasingly turned off by the current system.
“A lot of younger Oklahomans don’t vote, because they think their vote doesn’t matter,” said Nero. “The sad thing is, under the current system, they have a point. We have to open up our elections so that every voter can vote, and every vote counts. That’s the only way we get more leaders who understand the challenges our schools face, our farmers and ranchers face, and our families face every day.”
The open primary system proposed by SQ 835 was modeled after Oklahoma’s municipal election system. However, whereas municipal elections are non-partisan, open primaries under SQ 835 would require candidates to identify themselves by party affiliation (or list themselves as independents).
Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt and Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum both praised the proposal, saying it would lead to a better and more functional government.
“Cities in Oklahoma like mine are known for our dynamic and effective governance, and the main reason is that we have an electoral system that allows everyone to vote,” said Holt.
“Our voters get to see all the candidates and our candidates have to face all the voters. As a result, our leadership delivers unity and consensus outcomes that are clearly moving us forward. The entire state deserves that same level of success, and that’s why an open primary system for Oklahoma is so important and so valuable.”
“Open primaries help to break down partisan silos and ensure that every person can vote for the candidate who is best suited for the job, regardless of party" said Bynum. "They also increase competition in the marketplace of ideas, which leads to better outcomes and better governance.”
Download the full petition and an annotated petition.
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