Voting rights activists on Tuesday praised Oklahoma’s efforts to make registration more accessible under the National Voting Rights Act. “Oklahoma has tripled the numbers of people registering through public assistance agencies since 2015,” said Brenda Wright, senior advisor for legal strategies at Demos, a New York-based non-profit that advocates for ballot access and other causes. “The state should be commended for its impressive commitment to our shared American value that every eligible voter should be able to vote come Election Day,” Wright in a news release. “By implementing a comprehensive plan for voter registration services at these agencies across the state, Oklahoma has exemplified the NVRA’s principle and promise: States must do their part to bring all Americans into our democracy.”
Tuesday’s statement marked the fulfillment of a three-year agreement by the state to more fully comply with Section 7 of the NVRA, which requires “voter registration opportunities” at certain state agencies, including those offering public assistance.
In 2014, Demos, the American Civil Liberties Union of Oklahoma and two other organizations, acting on behalf of the Metropolitan Tulsa Urban League, the League of Women Voters of Oklahoma and Metropolitan Tulsa, and YWCA Tulsa, notified state election board secretary Paul Ziriax they intended legal action if the state did not come into fuller compliance with the NVRA.
Full Article: Voting rights advocate praises Oklahoma in expanding registration access | Homepagelatest | tulsaworld.com.