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A group is seeking to boost voter participation in Oklahoma by opening primary elections to all voters, regardless of political party.  

State-level races are often decided in Republican primaries in Oklahoma, because there are no Independent or Democratic candidates on the ballot, leaving many voters locked out. 

“Voters are showing up with nothing to vote for and all the meaningful decisions are happening in the primary.” said Jeremy Gruber, an organizer for the group Oklahoma United. “That’s why everyone needs a chance to participate.”

The change would come through Oklahoma’s Initiative Petition process. Gruber said if signature collection goes well, the group hopes to get the measure on the ballot as a State Question in 2026, when Oklahoma will be selecting a new governor.

Independents are the fastest growing voter demographic in the state, according to the Oklahoma State Election Board. There are 481,817 Independent voters registered in the state, a 32.4% increase since 2020. Meanwhile, Democrat voter registration declined  by 12.2% during the same period. Republican voter registration has increased 13.1% in Oklahoma since 2020. 

Oklahoma currently allows political parties to hold closed primary elections. In recent years, the Oklahoma Democratic Party has allowed independents to vote in primaries, but the Republican and Libertarian parties have continued to hold closed primaries. 

Gruber said there are multiple systems of open primaries in use across the country, but the version the group hopes Oklahomans will soon see on a ballot mimics municipal elections most are already familiar with.

“Many of those municipalities across the state, which are arguably some of our more functional forms of government, use a unified primary,” former State Sen. AJ Griffin, who supports open primaries, said.

“Voter participation is a sign of a healthy democracy,” Griffin said. “This isn’t a partisan issue … but it is a way to engage all of the voters in the process and increase civic participation in a state with one of the highest ratings for election integrity in the country.

Gruber said every state that has enacted an open primary system has seen voter turnout increase.

“It's not hard to understand why,” he said. “You let more voters vote, you get higher voter turnout. It's basic math.” 

Only 64% of Oklahoma voters participated in this year’s 2024 general election. 

The Republican mayors of both Oklahoma City and Tulsa favor the switch. 

Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt said in September that he hopes a statewide open primary system would wipe out some of Oklahoma’s partisan divide.

“People say ‘Gosh it sure seems like you’re electing mayors that unify people, that seem competent, that are well-liked across the political spectrum,” Holt said. “It’s not magic … every voter gets to see all the candidates, and all the candidates have to face all of the voters.” 

Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum told The Tulsa World earlier this year that he now supports open primaries, after he campaigned against them  as a city councilor more than a decade ago.

“I think it is important to point out, there is a Republican dominance right now (in Oklahoma), but we have had for a longer period of time in Oklahoma with Democratic dominance, and I think we would have benefited from this under either scenario,” Bynum told the paper.

Griffin said Holt’s political career – he has been elected under a closed primary model to the state Legislature, and an open primary model as Oklahoma City’s mayor – is a prime example of how the system should work.

“When you’re in (an open) system, you are beholden to everybody in your district,” Griffin said. “Which means it’s your responsibility, as it always should be as an elected leader, to meet with, represent and lead everybody.”

Tulsa voters this week effectively locked Republicans out of the city’s mayoral election in November.

Two Democrats - state representative Monroe Nichols and Tulsa County Commissioner Karen Keith - advanced to the runoff on Nov. 5 by narrowly defeating Republican Brent Van Norman by the slimmest of margins. The result guarantees Tulsa will have a Democrat mayor for the first time since Kathy Taylor left office in 2009.

On this episode of Listen Frontier, we talk with Nichols and Keith about the result, what it means for Tulsa, and how the race changes now that it’s transitioned to a head-to-head battle.

As local jails have morphed into some of the largest mental health treatment facilities in the U.S., many counties have outsourced medical care to private companies that promise to contain rising costs. Turn Key is one of the fastest growing in the middle of the country.

At least 50 people who were under Turn Key’s care died during the past decade, an investigation by The Marshall Project and The Frontier found. Our reporting unearthed company policies and practices that have endangered people in jail — especially those with mental illness.

On this episode of Listen Frontier, Frontier executive editor Dylan Goforth speaks with Frontier managing editor Brianna Bailey and Cary Aspinwall, reporter for The Marshall Project.

This is Listen Frontier, a podcast exploring the investigative journalism of the Frontier and featuring conversations with those on the frontlines of Oklahoma’s most important stories. Listen to us Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.

To donate to The Frontier and help support our efforts to grow investigative journalism in Oklahoma, click here.

Thousands of Chinese immigrant laborers suffer abuse and exploitation in a U.S. marijuana underworld dominated by Chinese mafias. A human rights advocate says: “They have not escaped the darkness of China.”

Today we speak with Frontier reporters Garrett Yalch and Clifton Adcock about their reporting series looking at Oklahoma's medical marijuana black market, as well as their new story about the human and labor trafficking allegedly done at some of these farms.

This is Listen Frontier, a podcast exploring the investigative journalism of the Frontier and featuring conversations with those on the frontlines of Oklahoma’s most important stories. Listen to us Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher. 

To donate to The Frontier and help support our efforts to grow investigative journalism in Oklahoma, click here.

Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond said at a press conference after the execution that Layla Cumming’s family finally has justice after 40 years. Cummings' family didn’t attend the press conference. But Drummond read a letter on behalf of Layla’s mother, Mindy Cummings.

“Today marks the final chapter of justice determined by three separate juries for Richard Rojem’s heinous acts nearly 40 years ago when he stole her away like a monster he was,” Mindy Cummings wrote. 

On this episode of Listen Frontier, Frontier executive editor Dylan Goforth speaks with reporter Ashlynd Huffman about her coverage of the Richard Rojem case.

Rojem, Oklahoma's longest-serving death row inmate, was convicted for the 1984 murder of his 7-year-old stepdaughter Layla Cummings.

This is Listen Frontier, a podcast exploring the investigative journalism of the Frontier and featuring conversations with those on the frontlines of Oklahoma’s most important stories. Listen to us Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher. 

To donate to The Frontier and help support our efforts to grow investigative journalism in Oklahoma, click here.

Judge Gary Lumpkin made the remarks during a hearing Tuesday on the state’s request to further delay the time between executions from 60 days to 90 days to reduce strain on staff. 

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A special legislative session called by Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt will begin on Monday. Stitt hopes lawmakers will pass a quarter-cent income tax cut, though that appears unlikely. 

Leadership in the Oklahoma House of Representatives has indicated they’ll pass the cut, calling it another step toward leading Oklahoma to zero income tax, but the Senate’s leader says Stitt hasn’t shown a detailed plan, and they won’t vote in favor.  Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treat told The Frontier that lawmakers could opt to take up the tax cut during the regular session, which starts Feb. 5.

Oklahoma’s current top income tax rate is 4.75%. Stitt’s proposed cut would drop the top rate to 4.5%. The Oklahoma Legislature last passed an across-the-board quarter-percent tax cut in 2021. 

On this episode of Listen Frontier, we talk to House Speaker Charles McCall and Treat to get their takes on the upcoming special session.