OKLAHOMA CITY, OK — The Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF) filed a federal lawsuit against Secretary of the State Election Board for Oklahoma, Paul Ziriax, for violating Section 8 of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA), 52 U.S.C. § 20507(i), and the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.
PILF previously requested a copy of Oklahoma’s voter roll. The Oklahoma Election Board refused to provide a copy of the voter roll because Oklahoma law prohibits out-of-state residents or organizations from purchasing the voter roll.
Oklahoma’s state residency requirement violates federal law, as the NVRA mandates voter roll transparency in its Public Disclosure Provision. This gives the public the right to inspect any state’s voter roll, regardless of whether they live in that state.
“It doesn’t matter if you are from Tulsa or Tacoma, Oklahoma City or New York City, these government records are available to the public under federal law,” said PILF President J. Christian Adams. “Voter rolls are an important list maintenance document the public has a right to inspect. PILF has fought this fight and won in court in three other states. We are confident that this lawsuit will bring transparency to Oklahoma’s elections.”
Notably, PILF has fought and won access to the voter roll in Maine, Maryland, and Illinois. In 2024, the First Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously sided with PILF that Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows had to hand over the state’s voter rolls without use restrictions. These cases have established precedent that under the NVRA voter rolls are public records.
Additionally, PILF has an active case against Hawaii for failing to maintain and provide a statewide voter roll for public inspection.
Ryan Haynie of the OCPA Center for Law and Liberty serves as PILF’s local counsel.
Noel Johnson and Carolyn Valdes are PILF’s attorneys in this case.
For media inquiries, please contact afischer@publicinterestlegal.org.
The Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF) is the nation’s only public interest law firm dedicated wholly to election integrity. The Foundation exists to assist states and others to aid the cause of election integrity and fight against lawlessness in American elections. Drawing on numerous experts in the field, PILF seeks to protect the right to vote and preserve the Constitutional framework of American elections.
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