Oklahoma clears 453,000 names of ineligible voters, including felons, deceased persons from voter rolls

Oklahoma officials announced on Wednesday that the state has removed more than 453,000 ineligible voters from its voter rolls since January 2021.

According to a statement from Governor Kevin Stitt's office, the purge included 97,065 deceased voters, 143,682 people who moved out of state, 5,607 felons, 14,993 duplicate registrations, and 194,962 inactive voters who were removed through an address verification process. The removal of these names is part of the state’s routine voter list maintenance that is required by law.

"Voting is our most sacred duty as Americans— and every Oklahoman wants to know their vote is securely cast and properly counted,” said Governor Stitt. “The State Election Board and the Secretary of State’s office continue to go above and beyond in their responsibility to ensure only eligible Oklahomans can vote in our elections. Their progress reassures me we will continue to lead the nation in election integrity efforts.”

Oklahoma has undergone rigorous efforts to safeguard elections in its state. In November 2023, Stitt established the Campaign Finance and Election Threats Task Force, which has made recommendations to bolster election security that have resulted in legislation. These measures include a ban on ranked choice voting and a requirement for post-election audits.

Oklahoma also outlawed "ballot harvesting" in 2020, imposing penalties for violations, and mandates proof of identity for all voters, regardless of voting method.

Secretary of State Josh Cockroft emphasized the state's efforts, stating, “We’ve aggressively pursued policies to ensure voting is secure and accurate, and we’re innovating to protect our elections from emerging technology like AI. In Oklahoma, every eligible citizen will have their vote counted and their voice heard."