State Senate passes bill to stop noncitizens from voting in Oklahoma elections

This common-sense bill passed the State Senate by vote of 45-1, with State Sen. George Young (D-OKC) being the lone vote in opposition (two Republicans missed the vote).

Senate approves measure to stop noncitizens from voting in Oklahoma elections

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Senate approved legislation Wednesday to help county election boards remove noncitizens from the state’s voter registration rolls. Sen. Brent Howard, R-Altus, authored Senate Bill 377 at the request of the Secretary of the State Election Board.

“Voting is our greatest freedom as U.S. citizens, and we must ensure that our elections are not disrupted by illegal voting,” Howard said. “This is an easy way to help county election boards identify noncitizens who may be registered to vote and remove them from the rolls. County court clerks are already required to submit monthly notifications of felony convictions to the county election board secretaries, so this will be a similar process.”

SB 377 would require the cancellation of the voter registration of anyone who has been excused from jury duty for not being a U.S. citizen. It would require county court clerks to prepare a list each month of everyone who falls into this category and provide that information to their county election board secretary. The secretary would then be required to cancel the registrations of those individuals and report them to the district attorney and the U.S. attorney for that county.

The measure now moves to the House for further consideration.