OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – A lawsuit that challenged Oklahoma’s absentee voting laws has been struck down by a federal judge.
In May, the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled that the Oklahoma State Election Board cannot require absentee voters to have their ballots notarized.
Shortly after that decision, the Legislature passed a law that reversed that decision. Supporters of Senate Bill 210 say they were concerned about voter fraud.
The Oklahoma Democratic Party filed a lawsuit against the election board and asked a judge to block the state from enforcing the notary requirement.
“The reality I don’t think people are aware of is that 47 other states do absentee without the notary requirement,” Chair of the Oklahoma Democratic Party Alicia Andrews said. “I reject the claim that Oklahomans are more fraud susceptible than those 47 other states.”
Now, a federal judge has dismissed that lawsuit.
The judge ruled that the state’s rules are reasonable, nondiscriminatory, and legitimate.
“Judge Dowdell got it right, and I applaud his objective ruling,” Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter said. “The procedures put in place by the legislature this year, and extended by the governor’s recent executive order, make it perfectly safe for Oklahomans to cast their ballot for the November election. Not to mention, hundreds of thousands of Oklahomans have already voted in both the primary and run-off elections earlier this year in-person and by absentee ballot. Judge Dowdell rightly concluded that the demands by these political groups would have caused confusion, delay, electoral disruption and increased risks of voter fraud. I appreciate the great work by the team in my office that defended these laws.”
If you are voting absentee in the November election, you will need to either have your ballot notarized or send in a copy of your ID.
