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Press Releases

Rapid Response

2022-2023

<h3><strong>Scope and Description:</strong></h3><p>Evaluate the outcomes and accuracy of absentee voting. Review Oklahoma’s process for administering absentee voting and compare to other states’ processes.&nbsp;</p><h3><strong>Evaluation Objectives:</strong></h3><p>This evaluation will be guided by four objectives within the scope set forth by the Legislative Oversight Committee:</p><ol><li>Describe the State’s administrative process for distributing, receiving, counting, and verifying mail-in absentee ballots.&nbsp;</li><li>Evaluate State Election Board and County Election Board compliance with statutory provisions regarding absentee voting.&nbsp;</li><li>Compare Oklahoma’s absentee voting procedures to other states.&nbsp;</li><li>Assess procedural controls in place to verify security and accuracy of absentee ballots.&nbsp;</li></ol>

Scoping & Objectives

Absentee Voting

Executive Summary

Report & Resources

Report and Resources

<h3>Summary of Policy Considerations</h3><h4>Policy Considerations</h4><p>The Legislature may consider the following policy changes:</p><ul><li>Requiring that any future changes to Oklahoma’s election processes or voting equipment maintain the statewide uniformity of the election system.</li><li>Requiring post-election audits by the State Election Board. Current statutes permit the audits, but do not require them.</li><li>Requiring risk limiting audits to be conducted by the State Election Board, contingent upon the purchase of updated voting technology.</li><li>Exempt voting equipment from approval requirements under Title 74, Section 85.5.</li><li>Expand the use of Nursing Home Absentee Boards to include residents at Assisted Living and Residential Care Facilities who have limited mobility.</li><li>Requiring county election boards to count absentee ballots in a single room that is accessible to the public.</li><li>Changing the name of the State Election Board agency to the State Election Agency or Bureau to avoid confusion with the State Election Board.</li><li>Changing the statutory term of “in-person absentee” voting to “early voting” to clarify the types of voting available to the electorate.</li></ul><h3>Summary of Agency Recommendations</h3><h4>Agency Considerations</h4><p>The Agency should:</p><ul><li>Indicate the postage required on the upper right-hand corner of the outer mailing envelope for mail in ballots.</li><li>Clarify for county election boards:</li></ul><ol><li class="ql-indent-1">Whether two properly notarized ballots may be mailed in a single outer envelope.</li><li class="ql-indent-1">Whether a signed and notarized ballot must also include the date signed.</li></ol><ul><li>Clarify the voter instructions provided with the absentee ballot to describe the steps needed to notarize a ballot. Include a link to the State Election Board website for a list of free notary publics in their area.</li><li>Require two staff or board members be physically present with the ballots at all times when transporting unlocked ballots between rooms, such as what occurs in large counties.</li><li>Clarify that each lock on the absentee storage boxes must use a unique key.</li><li>Modify absentee ballot rejection categories to distinguish between incorrect notarization or lack of notarization.&nbsp;</li></ul>

Recomendations

Presentation 

March 2023

Priority Project

Evaluations In Progress

Report: #23-000-02
Identify and forecast critical jobs as well as related qualifications, assess gaps in preparedness, and identify strategies to improve career readiness.	

Workforce Readiness

Report: #23-090-02
Examine the historical budget of the agency for the past five years and present the percentage of operational funding sources, to include: revenue billed to State agencies for services, State appropriations, and one-time funds, such as federal relief funds.

OMES Budget Review

Report: 23-922-01
Examine the operational framework for the Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency, including its governance and accountability, total programs administered by the agency, sources of revenue, and expenditure areas.

Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency

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Absentee Voting

More Reports & Evaluations

Workforce Readiness

OMES Budget Review

Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency