Government

Getting Involved

If you’re looking to get your foot in the door and make changes at higher levels, government o cials and politicians o er advice.

Tulsa Mayor GT Bynum encourages Tulsans to lead with a solution rather than a problem in order to make progress. Photo courtesy the City of Tulsa Thomas Je erson once said: “We do not have government by the majority. We have government by the majority who participate.” Oklahoma’s participation rate in recent elections is the lowest in the nation. at’s right - 50th out of 50.

Our legislature is not accepting defeat on this issue. In 2021, Oklahoma was one of a handful of states to expand access. With bipartisan support, legislators passed HB 2663, adding an extra early-voting day for general elections. is is by no means a magic solution, but it’s a step in the right direction.

Many factors can sti e voter participation. Recently, the integrity of election results has been called into question, and Oklahoma Sen. James Leewright is concerned about this perception.

“Voters need to be con dent in our election process,” he says. “Voters should feel that their vote will count and in Oklahoma, it absolutely does.”

Complacency and resignation can also limit turnout. Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt reminds voters that change is possible.

“ ere are no simple solutions to complex problems,” he says, citing transparency as fundamental to making progress. “ ere are times when citizen engagement is beautiful,” he mentions when discussing MAPS 4, OKC’s recently approved revitalization plan. “We sought citizen input online, all along the way, up through the city council process.” is transparency paved the way for a recordsetting 71.7% approval of the initiative.

Former Tulsa Mayor Kathy Taylor a rms this belief.

“ e most important thing is to authentically listen, to provide context and information to citizens,” she says. “Be ready to not only listen but be willing to change your mind based on what you hear.”

Some think you should be an informed expert to contribute to a conversation, but Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell encourages all citizens to engage, whatever their quali cations.

“You don’t have to have a formal education on an issue or know all the statistics to have an opinion worth sharing,” he says. “When we all come together to discuss solutions, the solutions are better.”

For citizens who want to be better informed, the online resource VoteSmart (votesmart.org) is a non-partisan tool for learning about candidates as well as important propositions. VoteSmart’s founder, Adelaide Kimball, explained the safeguards used to minimize bias.

“In the early 1990s, our founding board included politicians from both ends of the spectrum, including presidents Carter and Ford. We also refused contributions from special interest groups, limiting our funding to small individual donors and foundations.”

Voters can also learn about campaign nancing at OpenSecrets.org or Follow eMoney.org.

Perhaps the most impactful way to get involved is to actually run for o ce.

“ ere are so many avenues to serve and positions that quali ed Oklahomans should consider running for but don’t,” says Pinnell. “One commonly overlooked avenue to serve is on your local school board. e more that run for o ce, the better our state will be.”

How to Contact Elected

Off icials (in their own words):

e following methods are listed in order of e ectiveness as expressed by elected o cials.

Most E ective: Phone or Email:

“If emailing, mention ‘Constituent from [City Name]’ in the subject line.” - Sen. James Leewright

Dropping by the o ice:

“Surprisingly e ective…” - Sen. Jo Anna Dossett

Leading with a solution rather than a problem:

“Almost 95% of my ideas came from these types of conversations.” - Mayor GT Bynum

Less E ective: Online Apps:

“ ese apps often don’t allow me to respond to my constituents.” - Sen. James Leewright

Social Media shoutouts:

“No way to know if commenters are Tulsa residents.” – Mayor Bynum

“Can be a platform for negativity and misinformation.” – Mayor David Holt JEFF THOMPSON