United Indian Nations of Oklahoma sees voter registration uptick

Written By: Chelsea T. Hicks

(OSAGE RESERVATION) Margo Gray made 80-plus stops across Oklahoma to mobilize, inspire and get Natives registered to vote, after a massive voter purge occurred in September.

Read this story on Osage News here.

Amidst her efforts to get Natives ready for Election Day, Gray said she met many first-time Native voters. “I don’t even call it ‘boots on the ground,’ I don’t even call it ‘grassroots’ – this is strategic,” she said. “Our ground game is on fire. … When we were at Kickapoo Tribe, by the time we even got setup, there was a huge line.”

“We want to have our own people learn to be precinct people,” said Gray. “Let’s increase voter participation on our reservations. That is a freedom everyone has fought for, is to vote.”

Kelly Chouteau is the Osage County Secretary for the State of Oklahoma’s Election Board, and she said she needs more diverse poll workers. In her 27 years at the Osage County Election Office, she said she has seen the county turn from Democrat to overwhelmingly Republican.

“It’s hard for me to get Democrats to work the precinct now,” she said. “I have to pull them in from miles away,” explaining that she must satisfy the law’s requirement to have both parties represented at polls. Chouteau said she is married to an Osage, and she’s noticed that one reason a lot of voters have been purged is due to moving in and out of the county.

As for the voter purge in September, Chouteau said she hasn’t seen evidence of that in Osage County. “I haven’t received a list,” she said, “and whenever they do a large purge, we receive a list. I have to go in there and pull the [voters] out.”

Monthly purges did occur throughout this year however, said Chouteau. The monthly purges are due to deaths, moving and voter inactivity. “People are moving,” Chouteau said.

Voter apathy

Oklahoma is 50th in the state when it comes to voter turnout. “It’s unacceptable,” said Gray. “Let’s vote for people who want voting because when good people don’t vote, bad people get in.”

Of the 2.3 million registered voters in Oklahoma, more than 453,000 were purged in September, according to the State Election Board. Of those purged, 1 out of 5 were Native voters, Gray said. As for the large numbers of the purge, Chouteau said it most likely is due to inactivity.

“It actually takes a while for somebody to purge off for inactivity, it’s almost an eight-year process,” said Chouteau. “You have to vote,” she said, “or you’ll be purged.”

Gray is encouraging all Osages to vote and reminds them it only takes 15 seconds to check your voter status online. “By the time you put your last name in, your first name in and you click find me, you’ll know if you’re registered or not,” she said.

“We’re also seeing new voter registration,” Gray added.

Chouteau agreed, noting she has seen an uptick in registration.

One reason why, according to Gray, is that Natives have started to notice they are treated differently depending on who is in office.

“It’s almost a generational thing,” Gray said. “People are saying, ‘I’m not going to vote at white man’s election,’ but now they’re saying, ‘we see it does matter who’s in office, because it matters how we’re being treated.’”

On Oct. 4, Gray’s team with United Indian Nations of Oklahoma visited Anadarko, Carnegie and Lawton. They aren’t stopping until they go to multiple locations within all of Oklahoma’s 38 tribal areas.

“The tribal leadership has just been outstanding, because this is a tribal leadership-led initiative to get our voters to the polls, because we found out it makes a difference of who is elected. They get to appoint the judges and we have so much in the courts,” Gray said.

Due to changed polling places, and reduced numbers of precincts, Gray is urging everyone to check their status.

“I’ll just be honest,” she said of the reduced precincts, “that’s voter suppression. We want to push for precincts in rural Oklahoma on tribal lands and have our own people learn to be precinct people. We’ve talked to some of the legislators and said, ‘Hey, let’s revamp this. Let’s do away with straight ticket voting. Let’s increase voter participation on our reservations.’ … We see the veiled voter suppression in Oklahoma. It’s crazy,” she said.

Despite her busy schedule, Gray said that she is holding up alright.

“Right now, I’m in downtown Anadarko and it’s just been beautiful, to see all the tribes and to visit and hear all of the different languages … the young people, old people, to be in all the different headquarters … to be around the people, they’re so excited to see us whenever we show up.”  

To check your voter registration, go to https://oklahoma.gov/elections/voter-registration/voter-registration-changes.html. In Osage County, call (918) 287-3036 for help and make sure your voter registration is updated. The general election is on Nov. 5 and early in-person voting starts on Wednesday, Oct. 30 at 8 a.m. In-person voter registration locations include the Osage County Election Board Office at 630 Kihekah in Pawhuska and the First Baptist Church at 825 W. Rogers in Skiatook. Locate your polling place for Election Day at www.ok.gov/elections.