Parties miss deadline to allow independents to vote in Oklahoma primaries

Independent voters will not be able to cast their ballots in any of Oklahoma's upcoming political primaries.

Both Democrats and Libertarians missed a deadline to send the Oklahoma State Election Board notice that their parties would allow independents to vote in their primaries. Republicans have historically had closed primaries.

State law requires that the state chairperson of each party submit notice that the party will allow independents to vote in the primary between Nov. 1 and Nov. 30 of every odd-numbered year. For the upcoming primary, that meant that each party chairperson needed to alert the election board by Nov. 30. The Democratic Party and Libertarian Party failed to do so.