Oklahoma has removed more than 450,000 voter registrations from its rolls since 2021, a move aimed at maintaining election integrity ahead of the 2024 presidential election. The purge, announced by Governor Kevin Stitt and state officials in September 2024, is part of an ongoing voter list maintenance program. The removals include deceased individuals, duplicate registrations, convicted felons, people who have moved out of state, and inactive voters who failed to respond to address confirmation notices.
The breakdown of the purge includes 97,065 deceased voters, 14,993 duplicate registrations, 5,607 felons, 143,682 people who moved out of state, and 194,962 inactive voters who did not update their information during the state’s address verification process. This voter roll audit has reduced Oklahoma’s registered voters to just over 2 million, with Republicans making up about half, followed by over 534,000 registered Democrats and roughly 363,000 Independents.
🚨 Oklahoma— HUGE‼️
More than 463,000+ Ineligible Voters Have been Removed from the Voter Rolls
▪️97,000+ DEAD People
▪️15,000+ Duplicate voters
▪️143,000+ people that have moved
▪️5,600+ FelonsIt truly makes you wonder about how many of these blue states are actually blue.… pic.twitter.com/yKGa8zvTqP
— DailyNoah.com (@DailyNoahNews) September 19, 2024
Governor Stitt emphasized the importance of accurate voter rolls to ensure that "every Oklahoman's vote is securely cast and properly counted," a sentiment echoed by state officials such as Secretary of State Josh Cockroft.
Cockroft noted that this effort reflects Oklahoma’s broader election security measures, including collaboration with the state’s Cyber Command to protect voting systems from technological threats, including artificial intelligence.
Oklahoma removed 453k ineligible voters, requires paper ballots, and ID before voting.
If only all states did this.
Great job @GovStitt 🙌 pic.twitter.com/9TQn27vGCf
— Sheepdog 🇺🇲 (@sheepdog_AF) September 20, 2024
The state’s proactive approach to election integrity also includes strict voter ID laws, banning practices like ballot harvesting, and using hand-marked paper ballots counted by electronic scanners. These scanners are not connected to the internet, further safeguarding the process. Additionally, post-election audits and recounts have consistently validated the accuracy of the state's voting system.
While Republican officials praise these efforts, some Democrats have voiced concerns that the aggressive purging of voter rolls could inadvertently disenfranchise eligible voters. State Representative Mauree Turner, a Democrat from Oklahoma City, expressed fears that some Oklahomans may not realize they've been removed from the rolls and could be caught off guard on Election Day.
Voters who were removed in error have until October 11, 2024, to re-register before the November general election. Oklahoma law requires residents to be at least 18 years old, U.S. citizens, and legal residents of the state to register. The state's election board encourages residents to verify their registration status online to avoid any surprises when they head to the polls.
This major voter roll update is part of a broader trend across the U.S., where states are taking steps to tighten their election processes in the aftermath of the contentious 2020 presidential election. Oklahoma’s measures, particularly the large-scale removal of inactive and ineligible voters, reflect an increased focus on preventing potential voter fraud and ensuring that only eligible citizens participate in elections.
