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Bartlesville
Posted: Feb 04, 2025 9:35 AMUpdated: Feb 04, 2025 9:36 AM
The League of Women Voters of Bartlesville Event:Open Primaries in OK?
Tom Davis
The League of Women Voters of Bartlesville invites you to a community meeting to learn about State Question 836 (SQ 836) and its proposal to shift Oklahoma’s primary election system to open primaries on Tuesday, February 11, 2025, at 6:30 PM at the Bartlesville Public Library, Room A (upstairs).
Oklahoma’s current primary election system has been noted for excluding many voters from participating in critical elections. This event will include a presentation from Margaret Kobos, Founder and CEO of Oklahoma United, and Pat McFerron, SQ 836 strategist, who will provide information about the proposal to move to open primaries and its potential effects on voter engagement and participation.
Appearing on COMMUNITY CONNECTION, Fran Stallings with The Bartlesville League of Women Voters and from Margaret Kobos, Founder and CEO of Oklahoma United presented information regarding Oklahoma's low voter turnouts and how open primaries can improve voter participation.
According to information provided by Oklahoma United, if you are an independent voter, where are you going to go on primary day? A closed primary system actually has taxpayer funded primaries in which parties are permitted to exclude the public.
Margaret Kobas said, "So many of our elections, like 84% were in 2024, were decided in partisan primaries. And in fact, certain elections like county sheriff races were 76 out of 77 counties didn't even have a general election for sheriff." She added, "When I'm saying that independents are prohibited from voting, I mean that this system of a closed primary does not permit an independent to participate fully in all elections.
The event set for Tuesday, February 11, 2025, at 6:30 PM at the Bartlesville Public Library, Room A, is an opportunity to learn more about open primaries, ask questions, and engage in a thoughtful discussion on how proposed changes to Oklahoma’s election system could impact voters across the state.
This event is free and open to the public.
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