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State Election Board plans voting-system upgrade, rolls out absentee tracking and requests recurring funds for outreach
Summary
Secretary Paul Ziriax told legislators the board will seek funding to replace aging voting equipment (estimated $35 million), roll out intelligent mail barcoding statewide for absentee ballots, and maintain budgets for election administration and precinct official pay increases under Senate Bill 90.
Paul Ziriax, secretary of the State Election Board, told a legislative subcommittee the agency plans a multi-year effort to replace Oklahoma’s voting system and expand election administration tools while keeping core operations funded.
Ziriax said Oklahoma entered the 2024 general election with a record 2,442,211 registered voters and about 1,566,000 votes cast in the presidential race. He reported 4,200 provisional ballots statewide in the November general election and said 1,598 of those were counted; he said about 1,200 provisional ballots were rejected for missing identification under state law.
The board highlighted a pilot of intelligent mail barcoding for absentee ballots in Canadian County and said it plans a statewide rollout this year so county officials can trace the last postal scan for mailed absentee ballots.
On long-term technology, Ziriax said the board is seeking funding to replace voting equipment first procured in 2012. The board’s current estimate is roughly $35,000,000; Ziriax said that figure is preliminary and would be refined in a competitive request for proposals. He proposed an RFP in calendar year 2026, system testing in 2027 and statewide use by 2028 if funding and procurement go as planned. He stressed the new devices would still use paper ballots and scanners as required by state law.
Ziriax said some Help America Vote Act (HAVA) funds and federal security grants are available for election management software upgrades and security improvements but would not fully cover a voting-system replacement. He also noted Senate Bill 90 increased precinct official pay and helped recruitment but that many county political parties did not supply required candidate lists to counties, shifting recruitment burdens to county election boards.
The board requested recurring funds for communications outreach tied to the postal-service national change-of-address process. Ziriax said a previous postcard mailing to about 55,000 voters cost roughly $26,000–$27,000; the board proposes $100,000 to run similar mailings several times a year.
Lawmakers asked about audit processes, absentee-affidavit rejections and security training. Ziriax said the board conducts post-election audits, is updating the election management system, and provides training to county election staff and precinct officials. He declined to discuss specific security protocols in the public hearing but said county boards and the state board coordinate with law enforcement and intelligence partners.
Less-critical details: Ziriax identified Rusty Clark (assistant secretary) and Rachel Rogers (policy director and in-house counsel) on his team, said the board expects to absorb the costs of three 2025 legislative special elections without supplemental appropriations, and noted preparations to move back into renovated space at the Jim Thorpe Building.
