This news segment is by News9 Oklahoma
By Micah Wilson
Oklahoma election officials defended the state’s election security measures Friday, saying a recently declassified federal document has been mischaracterized and does not show the state’s voter registration database was breached.
During a news conference, Paul Ziriax, the secretary of the Oklahoma State Election Board said Oklahoma’s election system is built on paper ballots, bipartisan oversight and routine audits that have consistently verified election results. The remarks came after a White House Government Transparency Task Force memorandum referenced Oklahoma among states whose voter data had been obtained by a Chinese actor.
The Ziriax said the memorandum has led to confusion because it did not allege that Oklahoma’s election systems were hacked.
“There is no claim that Oklahoma’s voter registration database was compromised or breached,” Ziriax said.
Officials distinguish public voter data from election systems
The secretary said the declassified document states that a Chinese actor obtained publicly available Oklahoma voter information from commercial websites in 2022, not from the State Election Board’s systems.
The information referenced in the document consisted of public records available under Oklahoma law at the time, Ziriax said.
“While it is certainly preferable that a foreign actor not obtain publicly available voter data,” Ziriax said, the incident did not involve unauthorized access to Oklahoma’s election infrastructure.
Ziriax said Oklahoma lawmakers responded by passing a 2025 law restricting access to voter registration lists. Under the law, access is limited to U.S. citizens who are Oklahoma residents, as well as political parties and candidates. The secretary said the law is currently being challenged in court but expressed confidence it would be upheld.
Election officials cite paper ballots and audits
Ziriax said Oklahoma has used the same statewide voting system for more than 30 years. The system relies on hand-marked paper ballots that are tabulated using optical scan voting devices that cannot connect to the internet.
According to Ziriax, voting equipment undergoes extensive testing before each election, and ballots and voting devices are protected through strict chain-of-custody procedures. Unauthorized access to voting equipment is a felony under Oklahoma law.
Election officials also pointed to bipartisan oversight at polling places, candidate-requested recounts and post-election audits as evidence of the system’s reliability.
“There is no better cast vote record than the actual paper ballots,” Ziriax said.
The Ziriax also highlighted absentee voting safeguards, including notarization requirements, calling them the “gold standard” for identity verification.
Election officials explain ballot security
Karen Haley, assistant secretary of the Cleveland County Election Board described the path of a ballot from the polling place to the county election board.
Voters first verify their identity before receiving the appropriate ballot. After marking their selections privately, voters feed paper ballots into optical scanners that tabulate votes immediately while securely storing the physical ballots.
At the close of polls, bipartisan precinct officials seal ballots and equipment before transporting them to county election boards. By law, county election officials take custody of voting equipment while county sheriffs assume custody of paper ballots.
Haley said the paper ballot system provides a permanent record should election results ever be questioned.
“There is no better cast vote record than the actual paper ballots,” the Ziriax said.
Haley said Oklahoma’s election process is standardized across all 77 counties.
She said precinct officials receive mandatory training every two years using a state-approved curriculum and follow procedures established in Oklahoma law.
Haley said bipartisan poll workers verify voter identification, issue ballots and maintain security throughout Election Day before returning voting equipment and ballots to county election boards under established chain-of-custody procedures.
She also noted that routine post-election audits have consistently matched election-night vote totals.
“As far as I know, we’ve never had any incidences in Oklahoma that warrant the voters to suspect any foul play,” Haley said.
State Election Board addresses citizenship verification
Asked about efforts to identify non-citizens on Oklahoma’s voter rolls, Ziriax said only a “very, very small number” of registered voters have been flagged through verification systems.
Those cases undergo additional review before any confirmed violations are referred to federal and local prosecutors.
“It is a very serious crime for anyone to lie about your eligibility to become registered to vote,” the Ziriax said, adding that confirmed cases are rare.
Response follows federal election security comments
The news conference also came after Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin announced an updated federal election infrastructure plan and encouraged states to cooperate with federal election security efforts.
Mullin said states that decline to participate could risk losing certain election funding.
“We’re not trying to change the outcome. We’re trying to make sure that American people can trust our voting system,” Mullin said while discussing the plan, which is expected to roll out within 30 days.
Asked about Mullin’s comments, Oklahoma’s election secretary said the state has worked with federal and state partners on election security for years.
“We’ve worked with federal and state partners,” the Ziriax said. “That doesn’t worry me at all.”
League of Women Voters criticizes renewed focus on election claims
Celina Stewart, chief executive officer of the League of Women Voters, criticized President Donald Trump’s recent speech on election security, saying it revived issues that courts have already addressed following the 2020 election.
“The speech was concerning because it was bringing up issues that have been already settled,” Stewart said.
Stewart also criticized the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility, or SAVE, Act, describing it as a voter suppression measure rather than an election integrity bill.
The legislation would require documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections.
Stewart argued the proposal would disproportionately affect married women whose names have changed, first-time voters and rural residents who may face greater challenges obtaining required documentation.
“It’s chasing a problem that we don’t really have,” Stewart said, arguing there is little evidence that non-citizen voting occurs at meaningful levels.
Stewart calls for transparency, not fear
While Stewart said protecting election systems is important, she distinguished between publicly available voter registration information and the security of voting systems themselves.
“Oklahoma uses paper ballots,” Stewart said, noting that vote tabulation is not connected to the internet and that paper records can be audited after elections.
She said public officials should clearly explain the difference between voter registration information and election systems to avoid undermining confidence in elections.
“Americans deserve secure elections and accurate information,” Stewart said. “What they don’t deserve are unproven claims that undermine confidence in voting.”
Stewart said the League of Women Voters will continue opposing the SAVE Act through public advocacy, litigation and voter education efforts.
She also encouraged voters to participate in the organization’s national Day of Action in August, which will include events in Oklahoma focused on voter education and civic engagement.
Officials encourage voter participation
Despite differing views over federal election proposals, Oklahoma election officials urged residents to prepare for the Aug. 25 runoff elections by verifying their registration, polling location and sample ballot.
The runoff election includes Republican and Democratic primary races, along with two statewide ballot questions that all registered Oklahoma voters may vote on regardless of party affiliation.
“I hope that the voters of Oklahoma step up and show up,” the Ziriax said.
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