Welcome to the bizarro world of Oklahoma politics – a strange, silly place where Republicans want to increase voter turnout in local elections, and it’s the Democrats who oppose them.
Earlier this week, TLO superfan Barbara Hoberock filed an article for Oklahoma Voice-Watch-Frontier-Doc – I struggle with keeping my Oklahoma non-profit journalism outlets straight – that covers a recent effort by right-wing Oklahoma lawmakers to move school board elections to the November ballot.
Although Republicans are usually anti-democracy, want to make it more difficult and cumbersome to vote, and have introduced some bizarre bills to try to do exactly that, they’re all for increasing voter participation in local elections when it benefits them and makes it easier for the party to control, dictate, and right-wing-radicalize local school boards.
Granted, that’s not the justification they’re giving, but we all know it’s the truth.
Here are the details:
The Senate on Wednesday passed a bill that would move school board elections to November, despite concerns it would make races partisan and increase the costs for candidates to run.
Sen. Ally Seifried, R-Claremore, said moving the elections from April to November is necessary to increase voter participation.
Senate Bill 6 would move school primary elections from February to September in odd-numbered years and to August in even-numbered years.
Seifried, the author of the measure, said current school board elections are held at a time when voters aren’t paying attention and should be moved to a period when voters are engaged.
“Voter turnout in local school board elections is alarmingly low because these contests are held outside Oklahoma’s traditional election cycles,” she said. “Senate Bill 6 will increase the number of candidates running for these key positions and, more importantly, boost voter participation in these pivotal races.”
Isn’t that refreshing?
Sure, the right-wing special interest group behind the bill – The Freedom Foundation – admits they backed it to help ensure “that unions won’t be able to leverage small-turnout elections to appoint their activists” – an imaginary issue that only exists in the minds of right-wing loons and fanatics – but it’s nice to see the GOP finally care about increasing voter turnout and participation, even if it’s only because they think it will benefit them.
Obviously, Oklahoma Democrats – a powerless, minority group who are all for getting as many people as possible to vote in elections – are all for this measure? The more, the merrier when it comes to voting, right?
Well, apparently not.
State Senator Carrie Hicks – wife of former TLO contributor, trivia host, and podcast sidekick Spencer Hicks – said this bill will never get her rose:
School board races should not be intermingled with state and federal races that get ugly along party lines, said Sen. Carrie Hicks, D-Oklahoma City.
Candidates who file to run for school board are unpaid, and requiring them to campaign for a November election will put their credentials under a microscope, she said.
“I think it is a misstep to align these elections with partisan-fueled races,” Hicks said. “I think it is dangerous.”
Yep, that’s right! It’s dangerous to have the same people who are voting for presidents, governors, congressional representatives, judges, state senators, and, uhm, county commissioners also cast a vote for a much less consequential and powerful school board seat.
Got it.
Here’s what Senator Mark Mann – a former school board member – had to say:
Sen. Mark Mann, D-Oklahoma City, said the change will result in fewer candidates running for school board posts.
Mann, who previously served on the Oklahoma City school board, said half to three-fourths of legislative seats are determined in the primary, meaning many voters have no reason to show up for the November general election.
As an GDI voter who is blocked out of the primaries unless I want to suck it up and participate in Democratic primaries, I agree that it stinks not to have an early say on which party-loyal politician will represent their donors, special interest groups and other outside, self-serving influences at the State Capitol, Washington, D.C. or, apparently, a local school board.
That being said, uninformed citizens – including myself – have strongly shown for generations that they have no reason or interest to vote in school board elections, so wouldn’t it be nice and convenient to move them to a mainstream November ballot where people who have no clue have no say???
The more, the merrier when it comes to voting, right?
“Patrick! Quit being so obtuse! This bill has nothing to do with voting. The whole point of this is to consolidate GOP power and control and make it easier for Ryan Walters-backed Moms for Liberty Derps to control school board races.”
Yes, I totally agree and understand that’s why the GOP is backing the bill, but…
A) I dabble in satire, and one hallmark of satire is pointing out the hypocrisy of politicians.
This is true even if you generally agree with them or hosted trivia nights for many years with their husband. And let’s admit it – it is kind of ironic to see Democrats opposing a bill that will increase voter participation.
B) I don’t necessarily think this will have a big impact on school board elections.
Whether the election is held in February, March, or November, right-wing lunatics have proven across the state that they have no problem infiltrating local school boards and – as the Freedom Foundation puts it – “leveraging small-turnout elections to appoint their activists.”
Who knows? In the short term, this will obviously benefit Republicans, but the political pendulum swings both ways, and down the road, I wouldn’t be surprised if this someday makes it harder for right-wing activists to control school boards.
When that happens, expect the Republicans to reverse course and try to push school board elections back to the spring to lower voter turnout and give activists more power, and expect the Democrats to oppose because it will lower voter turnout.
Basically, expect everything to return to normal.
Stay with The Lost Ogle. We’ll keep you advised.
