Voters wanting a say in a different party primary have until March 31 to make the shift. This year, the June 16 party primary elections and Aug. 25 runoffs are closed to independent voters.
To change party affiliation, go to the Oklahoma Voter Portal at okvoterportal.okelections.gov or complete a new voter registration form. Those forms can be downloaded from the Oklahoma State Election Board website and are also available at the Tulsa County Election Board at 12000 E. Skelly Drive.
The Tulsa County Election Board is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. For questions, to go tulsacounty.org or call 918-596-5780.
Any applications received after March 31 will not be processed until September.
The moratorium on party switching in Oklahoma during even-numbered years dates to the early 1970s to prevent fast party changes right before an election. Parties can opt to open their primaries, but none are doing so this year or in 2027. The state recognizes the Republican, Democratic and Libertarian parties.
Democrats have allowed independents to cast a ballot in Oklahoma primaries for about a decade. Oklahoma Election Board officials say the party failed to meet the notification deadline last year.
Since February 2025, 43,145 voters have changed their voter affiliation statewide, including 8,079 in Tulsa County.
The largest increase in the past year are independent voters, which grew by nearly 8% and now make up 20.4% of the state’s electorate. In Tulsa County, independents also jumped 8% and represent nearly 23% of voters. Growth among the three recognized parties at the state and Tulsa County levels range from .5% to 2.9%.
Independents will be able to vote on State Question 832 in June but not for candidates. SQ 832 was put on the ballot through a citizen petition to seek a gradual increase of the state’s minimum wage from $7.24 an hour to $15 hourly by 2029.
State Question 836, a petition effort to open state primaries, did not make it onto the June ballot after the Oklahoma Secretary of State’s office ruled organizers did not meet signature requirements.
Candidates filings are April 1-3 at the Oklahoma State Capitol. If recent history holds, most of the Oklahoma Legislature will be filled before November.
The past three legislative election cycles have featured a majority of one-party filings for an office, mostly among Republicans, and uncontested races. In the 2024 election, 50 of the 127 legislative seats up for grabs were uncontested and another 35 were decided in the primary.
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