By Fox23.com News Staff
OKLAHOMA CITY — Independents in Oklahoma will not be able to vote in the 2026-2027 primaries and runoff primaries.
State Election Board Secretary Paul Ziriax announced on Wednesday that none of the three state recognized political parties filed a notice to allow Independents to vote in these elections.
Oklahoma is a modified closed primary state, which means to vote in a party’s primary, or runoff, you must be registered to vote in that party.
However, in every odd-numbered year from November 1-30, state law allows all recognized political parties to open their primaries and runoff primaries to Independents during the next two election years.
This is done by notifying the Secretary of the State Election Board. If a party decides to open its primaries, the deadline is extended to December 15 for the other recognized parties to respond or change their answer.
If no notice is given, the primaries remain closed under state law.
Voters can change their party affiliation between now and April 1, 2026. Party affiliation changes submitted from April 1 through August 31 of even-numbered years will be processed on September 1.
For more information on political parties and how to change registration, click here.
The Oklahoma Democratic Party said it voted in June to continue the longstanding policy of including Independents in primaries and that party leaders informed the Oklahoma State Election Board of their decision in Auugst.
“Oklahoma Democrats welcome Independents in our elections. We value their voices in selecting our general election candidates. We are working with the State Election Board to correct this error and exploring legal counsel if necessary,” said Erin Brewer, OKDEMS Chair.
The party said it was working with the election board to correct the error.
