TULSA, Okla. — North Tulsa leaders are demanding an early-voting site before the August 25 election, rejecting Tulsa County’s plan to wait until November to expand ballot access.
Oklahoma State Sen. Regina Goodwin joined Tulsa City Councilor Vanessa Hall-Harper, Dr. Tiffany Crutcher and Alicia Andrews for a July 29 press conference at the 36th Street North Event Center.
They argued that the Tulsa County Election Board’s move from 555 N. Denver Ave. to 12000 E. Skelly Drive created an early-voting gap. The change particularly affects North Tulsa residents, downtown workers and voters who rely on public transportation, they said.
“Once that gap opened at 555 North Denver — with the board moving to 12,000 East Skelly Drive, on the east side — we had a gaping hole on the north side,” Goodwin said.
Tulsa County currently has two confirmed early-voting locations: its East Skelly Drive headquarters and Tulsa Technology Center’s Broken Arrow campus.
According to speakers, the Election Board plans to open a third location in November. However, its address has not been publicly identified.
The August 25 ballot includes Tulsa City Council races, state runoffs and two state questions. The voter registration deadline was July 31.
“We’re focused on August because we won’t accept ‘we’ll get to you in November,’” Andrews said during the press conference. “This election matters regardless of party.”
Goodwin questioned why expanded access should be delayed when consequential elections will occur before November.
“Why would you put off our access until November, when we have state questions on the ballot, a municipal question, and elections in June and August that matter just as much?” Goodwin asked.
During a subsequent interview with The Black Wall Street Times, Andrews said lower-turnout elections are especially vulnerable to new barriers.
“Primary and runoff elections already have some of the lowest turnout possible,” Andrews said. “And how do you guarantee even lower turnout? By adding confusion to the process and making ballot access harder.”
The Tulsa County Election Board has announced a future location intended to serve North Tulsa, Collinsville, Owasso, Turley and Skiatook, according to speakers.
However, Goodwin questioned whether one site could meaningfully serve such a broad area.
“We don’t want a site sprung on us somewhere far away and be told, ‘well, it’s north,’” Goodwin said. “The North Pole is north too, but that’s not useful for August.”
Crutcher presented transportation figures showing how the relocation affects North Tulsa.
According to Crutcher, 24% of residents in ZIP code 74106 do not have access to a car. She also said reaching the East Skelly Drive office from 46th Street North can take two hours by public transportation.
“Getting from 46th Street North to the new election board location takes two hours one way — four hours round trip,” Crutcher said.
“Our ‘ask’ is simple: an early voting site for North Tulsa for the August election,” she added.
Hall-Harper questioned why the county moved its longtime downtown location without establishing a replacement in the urban core.
“How do you remove that and not put anything in its place?” Hall-Harper asked. “That’s common sense.”
She also noted that the City of Tulsa pays Tulsa County to administer city elections.
“The city council has every right to say: this is what we’re paying for, and everyone deserves access,” Hall-Harper said.
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Goodwin said community leaders have spent more than a year identifying potential early-voting locations.
Those options include the former Election Board office, the 36th Street North Event Center, North Peoria Church of Christ and a regional library.
Goodwin said the former Election Board building remains taxpayer-supported and is reportedly being used for storage. The building served as an early-voting location for approximately four decades, she said.
“We’re not asking for wholesale operations there, just early voting,” Goodwin said.
According to Goodwin, election officials raised concerns about parking, security and the possibility of changing locations again.
Andrews told The Black Wall Street Times that she visited both the former Denver Avenue location and the East Skelly Drive office during early voting. She observed congestion at both locations.
“Both locations had crowds. Both had parking challenges,” Andrews said. “Moving to Skelly doesn’t reduce the need for a location up north.”
She added that the downtown location served more than North Tulsa residents.
“It’s also people who work downtown,” Andrews said. “But the people of North Tulsa are the most directly affected by this move.”
Goodwin also challenged concerns about staffing and training. She said the Election Board had approximately 18 months to prepare for the move.
At the press conference, Burlinda Bradly — a trained precinct worker — said she volunteered for early voting but never received a response.
Andrews later said she knew at least two people who responded to an Election Board email seeking workers for another location.
“They sent an email months ago asking if people would be willing to work a new site,” Andrews said. “I know at least two people who replied saying they’d be willing — they never got a response.”
Those staffing claims have not been independently confirmed by The Black Wall Street Times.
Cleveland County, Oklahoma, has approximately 300,000 residents and six early-voting locations. Tulsa County has more than 680,000 residents and only two confirmed locations.
“I’m not criticizing Cleveland County — I applaud them,” Andrews said. “They show what’s possible when election officials prioritize voter access.”
Andrews called Cleveland County a model for other election boards.
“You look at how to emulate the best practice, not dismiss it,” she said. “I call what Cleveland County did a best practice.”
Hall-Harper characterized the absence of a North Tulsa early-voting site as voter suppression. Goodwin said the situation had reached that point.
“Anything less is voter suppression,” Hall-Harper said.
During her interview, Andrews stopped short of saying she could prove election officials deliberately excluded North Tulsa. However, she maintained that the relocation had a disenfranchising effect.
“I don’t know if it was deliberate, but it was disenfranchisement,” Andrews said. “I think North Tulsa just wasn’t even considered, and that might be a greater injustice than deliberate exclusion.”
Andrews also rejected describing the issue as a matter of convenience.
“When we call it convenience, it becomes a choice — what we prefer versus what we are entitled to and deserve,” she said. “This isn’t about convenience. It’s about fair access.”
She emphasized that the relocation affects North Tulsa residents across racial and political lines.
“This move doesn’t just affect people who look like me,” Andrews said. “It affects a whole part of town that has traditionally been left out.”
Goodwin said approximately 870 people had signed a petition calling for equitable early-voting access.
“Petitioning is a constitutional right, and people in this community are concerned about voting access,” Goodwin said.
Andrews created the electronic petition so residents unable to attend meetings or press conferences could support the campaign.
“What I’d like to see, to know they’re actually listening, is for them to place the site in a high-density population area, announce it, and do it before August 25 — not wait until November,” Andrews told The Black Wall Street Times.
Early voting for the August 25 election is scheduled for August 20 through August 22.
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