There was a time before politics became so toxic that as an election drew near, a conversation starter – civil, back then – was something along the lines of “So, who you voting for?”

These days, at least as it applies to independent voters registered in Oklahoma, the question has become, “So, are you going to get to vote?”

Oklahoma Republicans in the Legislature have taken it upon themselves to answer that question in a resounding way for independent voters – “Not while we’re in charge.”

Oklahoma lawmakers are advancing several election measures to enshrine the right of political parties to nominate their preferred candidate. Democrats and election reform advocates criticize House Joint Resolution 1019 as undermining State Question 836, a ballot initiative to place all candidates on a single primary election ballot.

The push to ensure continued Republican rule, while understandably criticized by many as establishing a dictatorship over a democracy, further enforces the bravado from the 2024 presidential campaign by then-candidate Donald Trump that “in four years, you don’t have to vote again … you won’t have to do it anymore.”

With what the state is doing in concert with current federal efforts, it’s more correctly that citizens won’t “get” to vote again, even if they want to.

Which is what independents are facing.

The way things are now – and will be for the next two years – independents still get to vote in the General Election for whichever Democrat, Republican or Libertarian has already been chosen without their input. Why is that? Because independents can’t vote in the primaries and runoff elections in 2026 and 2027, which may come as quite a shock to the almost 500,000 independents in Oklahoma.

“But,” independents will counter, “we’ve always been able to vote in the Democratic primaries. Why not now?”

The state election board points the finger at Democrats, Republicans and Libertarian parties, claiming that none of the parties notified the election board of their intent to allow open primaries, despite Democrats voting overwhelmingly to do so at their July 2025 statewide meeting, and believing they had followed the required process to allow independents to vote in 2026.

Understandably, Democrats are incensed, and independents are or should be – too.

So what happened? Democrats marshaled their resources beginning in 2024, collecting the required 172,993 signatures on petitions to get SQ 836 on the November ballot to allow voters to decide if they want open primaries. So when more than 209,000 signatures were submitted to the Oklahoma Secretary of State’s office in support of the ballot initiative, Democrats and independents were buoyed by the likelihood that open primaries were in our future.

But recently, Republican Secretary of State Benjamin M. Lepak claimed that at least 36,000 signatures – the actual number has not been announced – are invalid. But, as Trump and other MAGAs will tell you, that many invalid (fake?) signatures are not surprising, because, as they’re quick to claim without any evidence, Democrats are known to be cheaters.

If you choose to assume things are not as bleak and hopeless as they seem – the political equivalent of burying your head in the sand – there are many voters who have already drawn battle lines by registering as Democrat or Republican. The Republican gerrymandered districts will continue to make getting elected as a Democrat a Herculean effort in Oklahoma, while GOP candidates encounter little opposition, except from members of their own party.

But what if you are proudly independent? Do you just accept your fate? Do you just vote in the General Election? Or not?

For those independents who believe they deserve a say in the primaries to select the nominee for one of the major parties, there’s a way for that to happen if you act quickly. You must register with the election board as a Democrat or Republican by March 31 in order to vote in the statewide primary election on June 16, and any subsequent runoff elections. (Also, if you’re a Republican who has become disillusioned with your party, now’s the time to switch to the party more aligned with your values.)

What’s on the ballot for the primaries?

The ballot will include races for U.S. Senator, U.S. Representative, Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, State Treasurer, Superintendent of Public Instruction, State Auditor and Inspector, Commissioner of Labor, Insurance Commissioner, Corporation Commissioner, District Attorney, State Senator, State Representative, District Judges, Associate District Judges, County Treasurer, County Assessor, County Commissioner and State Question 832, which would raise the state’s minimum hourly wage from $7.25 to $15 by 2029.

So if you’re not registered with one of Oklahoma’s recognized political parties and you want your vote to help determine how the primaries go, you have until March 31 to ensure you can exercise your Constitutional right in the primaries. Register online at okvoterportal.okelections.gov, or contact your county election board.