Together Oklahoma, the grassroots advocacy program for the Oklahoma Policy Institute, will host a virtual event on Sept. 20 to highlight voter registration activities across the state as part of National Voter Registration Day.
“Save Our Democracy: Vote!” will be livestreamed on Tuesday, Sept. 20, via the Together Oklahoma website (TogetherOK.org), the OK Policy website (okpolicy.org), and the social media channels for both organizations.
The event will feature special events going on statewide, along with interviews and panel discussions, entertainment and more in an effort to get more Oklahomans registered to vote and get involved in advocacy and democracy.
Together Oklahoma’s live webcast will run from 1:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.. (Check out the full listing of events below for activities around the state.)
Participating organizations are scheduled to include:
- Oklahoma State Conference AME Church Lay Organization
- League of Women Voters, Oklahoma City
- League of Women Voters, Stillwater
- Rock the Native Vote
- Let’s Fix This
- Oklahoma United for Progress
- Oklahoma Civic Learning Coalition
- Vote for Change
Panel discussions are scheduled to include lawmakers, CareerTech, colleges and universities, education and parent groups, Oklahoma Prison Ministries, Oklahomans for Criminal Justice Reform, League of Women Voters, and OK Policy. The times and topics for the panel discussions and conversations are:
- 2:20-2:45 p.m. | The Power of the Hispanic Vote (Panel)
- 3:05-3:50 p.m. | Voting and Our Schools (Panel)
- 4:00-4:25 p.m. | The Impact of Native Voting (Conversation)
- 4:30-5:15 p.m. | Voting and Justice Reform (Panel)
- 7:00-7:50 p.m. | Participatory Democracy (Panel)
“Voting has always been fundamental to protecting and preserving our democracy,” said Angela Monson, Outreach and Legislative Director for OK Policy. “But more and more, we are seeing an assault on our democracy and efforts to limit voter participation. This has been underway for decades and is increasing. Voting remains the most effective way to beat back that assault and make sure our government works for all people. However, that is not happening right now.”
National Voter Registration Day is a nonpartisan civic holiday celebrating our democracy. The nationwide event seeks to create broad awareness of voter registration opportunities to reach tens of thousands of voters who may not register. First observed in 2012, nearly 4.7 million voters have registered to vote on the holiday to date.
According to U.S. Census data from 2020, as many as 1 in 4 eligible Americans are not registered to vote. Every year, millions of Americans find themselves unable to vote because they miss a registration deadline, don’t update their registration, or aren’t sure how to register. National Voter Registration Day wants to make sure everyone has the opportunity to vote.
The streaming event will be a “marathon” to make sure as many events as possible are given air time. “We will start as early as needed, and continue the “voter marathon” live stream as long as necessary,” she said.
In between the coverage of events, conversations focusing on the importance of protecting democracy, new rules pertaining to requesting an absentee ballot and other voting processes, barriers to voting, and other topics that inform and inspire viewers will be included. Local entertainers and “door” prizes will also be a part of the program.
“We want representatives of organizations involved in civic activities to join one of the panels or discussions. It is important to hear a diverse group of voices and experiences when it comes to the importance of voting. We are offering this platform to the community to get their messages out and to be heard,” Monson said.
Together OK, a program of OK Policy, is a nonpartisan coalition of citizens working together to secure a robust future for our state. The organization seeks to provide grassroots education and training to help Oklahomans self-advocate for policy changes that can promote a prosperous future for themselves and their neighbors.
For more information, contact Roxanne Logan, Together Oklahoma Regional Organizer, at rlogan@togetherok.org or Angela Monson at amonson@okpolicy.org.
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| Date | City | Location | Address | Start | End | Organization |
| 9/18/2022 | OKC | Harkins Theater, 150 E. Reno Ave, OKC | 150 E Reno Ave | 4:00: PM | 7:00: PM | OK State Conference AME Church Lay Organization with OKC Alumnae Chapter Delta Sigma Theta, Inc. |
| 9/18/2022 | OKC | Kindred Spirits | 1726 NE 23rd Street, Suite C | 5:30: PM | 10:00: PM | Vote for Change |
| 9/19/2022 | OKC | Homeland Grocery | 1108 NW 18th St | 11:00: AM | 1:00: PM | OK State Conference AME Church Lay Organization |
| 9/20/2022 | Ada | East Central University | 1100 East 14th St | 11:00: AM | 1:00: PM | Rock The Native Vote |
| 9/20/2022 | Miami | Northeastern Oklahoma A & M Student Union | 2001 I St | 11:00: AM | 1:00: PM | Rock The Native Vote |
| 9/20/2022 | OKC | First AME Church | 3309 N Kelley Ave | 10:00: AM | 12:00: PM | OK State Conference AME Church Lay Organization |
| 9/20/2022 | Broken Arrow | Northeastern State University – Broken Arrow | 3100 New Orleans St | 10:00: AM | 2:00: PM | Oklahoma United For Progress |
| 9/20/2022 | OKC | OKCPS High Schools | Varied | 10:30: AM | 1:30: PM | Oklahoma Civic Learning Commission |
| 9/20/2022 | OKC | Ralph Ellison Library | 2000 NE 23rd St | 12:00: PM | 3:00: PM | League of Women Voters, OKC |
| 9/20/2022 | OKC | Northwest Library | 5600 NW 122nd St | 12:00: PM | 3:00: PM | League of Women Voters, OKC |
| 9/20/2022 | OKC | Almonte Library | 2914 SW 59th St | 12:00: PM | 3:00: PM | League of Women Voters, OKC |
| 9/20/2022 | OKC | Homeland Grocery | 625 NE 36rd St | 1:00: PM | 3:00: PM | OK State Conference AME Church Lay Organization |
| 9/20/2022 | OKC | Eastside Pizza House | 1734 NE 23rd St | 5:00: PM | 7:00: PM | OK State Conference AME Church Lay Organization |
| 9/20/2022 | OKC | Scissortail Park | 300 SW 7th | 5:30: PM | 7:30: PM | Rock The Native Vote |
| 9/20/2022 | OKC | “West Wing” Watch Party | Wheeler Ferris Wheel at Wheeler District, 1701 S Western Ave | 7:00: PM | 9:00: PM | Let’s Fix This |
| 9/20/2022 | Okmulgee | College of the Muscogee Creek Nation | 2170 Raven Circle | 11:00: AM | 2:00: PM | Rock The Native Vote |
| 9/20/2022 | Ponca City | Attucks Community Center | 1001 S 12th St | 5:00: PM | 8:00: PM | Rock The Native Vote |
| 9/20/2022 | Seminole | Reynolds Wellness Center | 1001 Strother Ave. | 5:00: PM | 8:00: PM | Rock The Native Vote |
| 9/20/2022 | Stillwater | Stillwater Public Library | 1107 S Duck St | 10:00: AM | 6:00: PM | League of Women Voters, Stillwater |
| 9/20/2022 | Stillwater | The Wesley Foundation | 823 W. University | 10:00: AM | 6:00: PM | League of Women Voters, Stillwater |
| 9/20/2022 | Tulsa | Centennial Center at Veterans Park | 1028 E 6th Street | 10:00: AM | 2:00: PM | Rock The Native Vote |
| 9/20/2022 | Tulsa | Vernon AME Church Daily Meals Program | 311 N Greenwood Ave | 12:00: PM | 2:00: PM | OK State Conference AME Church Lay Organization |
| 9/22/2022 | OKC | OKCPS High Schools | Varied | 10:00: AM | 1:00: PM | Oklahoma Civic Learning Coalition |
| 9/24/2022 | OKC | Spiked Coffee | 1732 NE 23rd Street | 10:00: AM | 3:00: PM | Vote for Change |
| 9/24/2022 | OKC | Culture Coffee | 1029 NE 6th Street | 10:00: AM | 3:00: PM | Vote for Change |
| 9/25/2022 | OKC | Kindred Spirits | 1726 NE 23rd Street | 5:30: PM | 10:00 PM | Vote for Change |
