On January 31, 2024 members of the State Election Board removed the Republican member Cheryl Williams and her alternate, Jenni White, from the three-member Oklahoma County Election Board. In the interest of “Free, Fair, Safe, & Secure” elections – the watched fired the watchers!
This entire episode is positively Orwellian in its substance. Following a simply gargantuan, “10-plus-hour” “executive session” (meaning only that we the citizens were forbidden attendance), the State Election Board members announced their removal, effective immediately, for nine and six stated reasons respectively – while in the same motion noting that the members can be removed at any time without a reason.
The nine stated reasons, meanwhile, are obvious stuff and nonsense to anyone with a brain ‘twixt his ears. “Behavior unbecoming an Oklahoma election official?” Come on! Did the Oklahoma Election Board become a military service while nobody was looking? No, the actual reason for their removal, as anyone with a brain can plainly see, is only the single item: for “voting against the certification of a validly conducted election.” (For a full list of the supposed causes, read the very thorough article at NonDoc: https://nondoc.com/2024/02/01/gop-members-cheryl-williams-jenni-white-removed-from-ok-county-election-board/)
Is that not the entire reason the Republican and Democrat members are there? To ensure the Election Board accurately counts the votes? To ensure the integrity of the elections? If the partisan members may be removed “at any time” for “voting against the certification” of an election, then – follow me on this – the election absolutely cannot be considered “Free, Fair, Safe, & Secure”! In a move straight out of 1984 the Ministry of Truth declared the election secure, removed the two members of the County Election Board who complained the election was not secure, and referred the two members to the Ministry of Love for re-education! If that does not foster faith in the security of Oklahoma elections, I don’t know what would!
This example of Orwell’s newspeak reminds me of the 1993 final FBI incursion into the Branch Davidian compound. As the tanks smashed through the walls and inserted tear gas, FBI loudspeakers blared, in sinister doublethink, “This is not an assault!”
Now: it is in fact permitted in statute (Title 26. Elections, Section 2-114) to remove county Election Board members: “The State Election Board shall have the authority to remove any chair, vice-chair or any alternate member of any county election board at any time.”
And that is the problem! Fundamentally, the watched must never have the power to remove the watchers. Such power completely inverts the exact reason for having watchers in the first place. In the conclusion of his letter responding to allegations of election insecurity by Williams and White, Oklahoma Election Board Secretary Paul Ziriax threatened the two, ominously:
“Keep in mind that pursuant to state law the State Election Board appoints all members, alternate members, and secretaries of county election boards, and also has the statutory authority to remove these officials at any time.” (https://nondoc.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/2-1-24-Ziriax-complaint-response.pdf) In other words, don’t you dare question the integrity of any election!
I hereby call upon the legislature of Oklahoma to repeal 26 O.S-2-114. Do not amend it, do not change the wording, do not add additional language clarifying causes for removal of election board members. Merely repeal the paragraph entirely! To do so would fundamentally change the Oklahoma Election Board such that it must squarely confront complaints against election integrity, and not merely remove any election board member who so complains. In other words, the Oklahoma Election Board must actually ensure the integrity of Oklahoma elections!
The watched must never be granted the power to remove the watchers!