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<v Speaker 1>Good morning, good morning, good morning, and welcome, welcome, welcome.

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<v Speaker 1>He's time now for our community connection right here on

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<v Speaker 1>Caitelan when you trust. And today we're going to be

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<v Speaker 1>talking about a state question that's going to appear on

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<v Speaker 1>about it coming to your area soon.

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<v Speaker 2>It's about open primaries.

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<v Speaker 1>And it is called a state question number eight thirty six.

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<v Speaker 1>And I believe we have Pat McFerrin on with us,

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<v Speaker 1>and Pat, how are you doing today?

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<v Speaker 3>I'm doing great, Thanks Tom.

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<v Speaker 1>Well, thank you very much. Now you've been doing this

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<v Speaker 1>for more than a minute. It got like thirty years

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<v Speaker 1>of election and grassroots lobbying and a few other things

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<v Speaker 1>and research going here for you. But talking to you

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<v Speaker 1>on the phone, it sounds like you ain't old enough

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<v Speaker 1>to been around anywhere near thirty years doing things like that.

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<v Speaker 2>Oh, young fellow, I have been.

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<v Speaker 3>I graduated from Nowaha High School back in nineteen eighty

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<v Speaker 3>six and started working in politics about that time.

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<v Speaker 1>My goodness sake, tell us a little bit about some

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<v Speaker 1>of the things you've been up to as far as that.

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<v Speaker 1>I see you've worked on some presidential things too.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah. Yeah, we were the only pollster that Donald Trump

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<v Speaker 3>used in his twenty sixteen election cycle. Now during the

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<v Speaker 3>primary campaign, now, he doesn't believe too much in polls,

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<v Speaker 3>so he didn't use us very often, but we were

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<v Speaker 3>the only ones that he used. And dating back to

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<v Speaker 3>Bob Dole's campaign and others, we've done quite a few

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<v Speaker 3>presidential races, but Oklahoma has always been home, and I've

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<v Speaker 3>been very proud of everything we've done here, ranging from

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<v Speaker 3>members of Congress Frank Keating's gubernatorial campaigns. Right to work

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<v Speaker 3>here in alcohol and in grocery stores a few years

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<v Speaker 3>ago is another state question we worked on.

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<v Speaker 1>Well. This state question is a little bit interesting because

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<v Speaker 1>there are some states that have so called the open primaries,

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<v Speaker 1>and that definition can change from state to state. I've

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<v Speaker 1>lived in states where they've had so called open primaries

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<v Speaker 1>where you know, you could jump across the line and

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<v Speaker 1>vote either Republican Democrat, Independent or Socialist Worker Party or

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<v Speaker 1>left handed banjo picker Party, whatever one you wanted, and

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<v Speaker 1>it really didn't make any difference. But what he's lined

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<v Speaker 1>up here is a little bit different than what I'm

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<v Speaker 1>used to seeing. Can you explain a little bit about

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<v Speaker 1>what's being proposed?

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<v Speaker 3>Yes, and you're right, there is some confusion here, and

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<v Speaker 3>that's one of reason why we want to have these

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<v Speaker 3>kinds of conversations. There are some states that claim to

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<v Speaker 3>have open primaries, but from a legal definition that really

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<v Speaker 3>semi open. And that's where you go in on election

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<v Speaker 3>day and you pick, am I going to vote in

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<v Speaker 3>the Republican primary or am I going to vote the

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<v Speaker 3>Democratic primary or one of the other minor parties. And

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<v Speaker 3>that's kind of how Texas does at Virginia Missouri, and

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<v Speaker 3>I want to be very clear, that is not what

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<v Speaker 3>we're doing. I don't like those types of primaries because

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<v Speaker 3>I think it leads to gainsmanship, it leads to chaos. Yeah, well,

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<v Speaker 3>what happens that, for example, only one Democrats running, The

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<v Speaker 3>Democrats might all decide to vote in the Republican primary

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<v Speaker 3>to nominate the weakest person or vice versa. And I

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<v Speaker 3>don't think that's how you get good government. Think they

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<v Speaker 3>can get representative government. What we're doing is a truly

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<v Speaker 3>open primary where we kind of do away with the

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<v Speaker 3>artisan primaries. Now people still Republicans and Democrats are still

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<v Speaker 3>on the ballot, but you go in and you vote

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<v Speaker 3>for the one person in that race you like, if

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<v Speaker 3>it's a Republican or a Democrat, independent, or the left

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<v Speaker 3>hand banjo picking parties.

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<v Speaker 2>There you go, and.

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<v Speaker 3>The top two will then face off in November. So

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<v Speaker 3>the Democrats have to vote for the Democrats and want

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<v Speaker 3>the Democrat to advance. So the Republicans have to vote

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<v Speaker 3>for a Republican if they want to. But you can't

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<v Speaker 3>end up where you'd have two Republicans in November, or

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<v Speaker 3>you know, in some places in Oklahoma maybe if two Democrats,

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<v Speaker 3>generally two Republicans being in your November ballot.

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<v Speaker 1>So this kind of goes against the old one and

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<v Speaker 1>done thing that we've been seeing from time to time.

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<v Speaker 3>Correct it does. I mean right now in Oklahoma, more

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<v Speaker 3>than ninety five percent of our elections are essentially decided

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<v Speaker 3>in the primary of the runoff time they are November election.

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<v Speaker 3>November elections don't matter in Oklahoma right now, and it's

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<v Speaker 3>causing turnout to decrease. In fact, in the presidential elections

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<v Speaker 3>in twenty twenty and twenty twenty four, Oklahoma was fiftieth

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<v Speaker 3>in the nation in voter turnout, fiftieth.

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<v Speaker 2>In the nation, and voter turnout Oklahoma was.

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<v Speaker 3>Yes, woll In reality, it's because the elections don't matter.

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<v Speaker 3>I mean, you look at the county offices we had

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<v Speaker 3>last time. Out of all the county offices we filled

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<v Speaker 3>more than three hundred statewide, there was only one that

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<v Speaker 3>was what political scientists say was an election of consequence.

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<v Speaker 3>In November, only one race in the entire state from sheriff, clerk,

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<v Speaker 3>county commissioners was decided by less than ten points in November.

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<v Speaker 3>Everything else was decided earlier, I mean, and we had

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<v Speaker 3>some real anomalies down in Carter County, which is are

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<v Speaker 3>and more. Only two Republicans filed for sheriff. They got

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<v Speaker 3>the exact same vote count in that Republican primary in June.

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<v Speaker 3>No Independent could vote, no Democrat could vote, and it's

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<v Speaker 3>a small group of Republicans, but they tied. And so

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<v Speaker 3>but instead of allowing more people to vote, they drew

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<v Speaker 3>a name out of a hat. That's how they picked

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<v Speaker 3>a sheriff. And I just don't think that's the best

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<v Speaker 3>way to run a county, run a state.

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<v Speaker 2>This is interesting.

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<v Speaker 1>So when does this question that come up on the ballot, Well, that's.

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<v Speaker 3>Yet that's yet to be determined. We're still kind of

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<v Speaker 3>at early stages. But it is such a paradigm shift

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<v Speaker 3>where we're wanting to talk to folks about it. It's

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<v Speaker 3>it's been challenged at the Oklahoma Supreme Court. We filed

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<v Speaker 3>our initiatives, so we have not yet collected signatures. We

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<v Speaker 3>hoped to like signatures later this year, and our goal

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<v Speaker 3>is to be on the November twenty sixth ballots.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, okay, very good. So you're talking to people. I

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<v Speaker 2>know that.

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<v Speaker 1>I know that you're going to a lot of different

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<v Speaker 1>civic clubs and one here in particular in Bartlesville.

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<v Speaker 2>Tell us about that.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, I'm going to be at the Daybreak Rotary at

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<v Speaker 3>Second Crossing. I think it's two fifteen East Second Downtown

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<v Speaker 3>at seven am on Friday morning. We're all be able

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<v Speaker 3>to spend more time explaining what our system is and

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<v Speaker 3>answering anybody's specific questions they have.

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<v Speaker 1>Now, some folks are going to conflate this with another

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<v Speaker 1>thing that Alaska does, where the well we'll have a

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<v Speaker 1>whole herd of candidates and sometimes it just kind of

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<v Speaker 1>looked weird. Is this anything like that?

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<v Speaker 3>Now? Now that's called rank choice.

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<v Speaker 2>Rank choice. I lose. I couldn't remember the phrase.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, yeah, that's but that's now, that's not what they said.

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<v Speaker 3>Everybody will vote for one person, just like we had

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<v Speaker 3>the day and what it might sound strange, the reality

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<v Speaker 3>is every municipality in our state uses this type of

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<v Speaker 3>system where you you know, if you have a mayor's

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<v Speaker 3>election or city council election, you know, you go and

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<v Speaker 3>you vote, and then if nobody gets a majority of

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<v Speaker 3>the top two, then face off in the next round.

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<v Speaker 3>That's really all we're doing. So it's not that strange.

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<v Speaker 3>Now ours is different from that, and that we will

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<v Speaker 3>still have party labels. Whatever party you're registered with will

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<v Speaker 3>be shown, so the voters have that information.

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<v Speaker 2>Got it? Got it? Got it?

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<v Speaker 3>Well?

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<v Speaker 1>You know I can tell you right now, media people

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<v Speaker 1>meaning that the volks who do digital ads, radio, TV

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<v Speaker 1>and even the archaic print folks are saying, bring it

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<v Speaker 1>on because they get two elections instead of one.

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<v Speaker 3>Well, I think, you know, I'm just being that's good, no,

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<v Speaker 3>but I mean I think it hits their real point

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<v Speaker 3>here is that every voter is going to get more information,

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<v Speaker 3>and I think that higher information flow is important. I mean,

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<v Speaker 3>the reality is right now, three to five percent of

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<v Speaker 3>the people are making all the decisions. You know, just

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<v Speaker 3>rough numbers here, a state senator represents ninety thousand.

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<v Speaker 2>Individuals, and if you.

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<v Speaker 3>Get three thousand votes in a primary you're going to win.

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<v Speaker 3>I don't think you can find a single case if

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<v Speaker 3>somebody can more than three thousand votes and not winning

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<v Speaker 3>that primary. And that's only you know, that's a that's

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<v Speaker 3>just three and a half percent of all the folks.

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<v Speaker 3>And so this leads to more civic engagement. There are

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<v Speaker 3>a few states that use a system like this, Louisianay

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<v Speaker 3>and one that's kind of similar to it Washington State.

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<v Speaker 3>I'm not certain about Hawaii. It could be, but it

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<v Speaker 3>leads to higher voter turnout, greater participation. And I think

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<v Speaker 3>fundamentally we're at a crisis in this nation and the

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<v Speaker 3>state where we have such little faith in our institutions.

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<v Speaker 3>It's because I think so few people are engaged and involved.

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<v Speaker 3>I think the higher involvement and engagement will be a

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<v Speaker 3>piece of rebuilding that faith and everything that.

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<v Speaker 2>We have very good. I've had some people kind of

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<v Speaker 2>tug at my.

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<v Speaker 1>Coat tails and say, well, you know what this is

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<v Speaker 1>it gives a party that doesn't feel like it's being

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<v Speaker 1>represented a chance to pick. What they would feel is

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<v Speaker 1>the less, you know, the least vigorous of the candidates.

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<v Speaker 1>You know, somebody who might be a little too leaning

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<v Speaker 1>a certain way, but the way you're phrasing it, this

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<v Speaker 1>gives people, all people a choice.

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<v Speaker 3>Right, And I think that argument would be accurate if

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<v Speaker 3>it were if we were proposing that semi open primary.

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<v Speaker 3>We talked about what they do in Texas or someplace elf.

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<v Speaker 3>But that's not all we're looking at here. So I

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<v Speaker 3>understand that confusion. I'm not sure all of it, all

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<v Speaker 3>of that criticism is legitimate. I think there are some

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<v Speaker 3>folks that understand it. Would still like to promote that

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<v Speaker 3>talking point. Sure, I mean that's not what we're doing.

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<v Speaker 2>Very very good.

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<v Speaker 1>So once again, Daybreak Roadary seven o'clock this Friday, and

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<v Speaker 1>that is a crossing second right here in Bartlesville and

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<v Speaker 1>our hometown got from no one A will be there

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<v Speaker 1>and you'll be answering some questions and of course giving

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<v Speaker 1>you know, some factual things about this, much like we've

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<v Speaker 1>done right here.

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<v Speaker 2>Now.

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<v Speaker 1>Is there a website or other places online people can

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<v Speaker 1>perhaps to look this up and maybe do some reading

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<v Speaker 1>before they come in so they can ask you some questions.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, yeah, you can just look for yes on eight

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<v Speaker 3>thirty six website and also Facebook page. Probably the easiest

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<v Speaker 3>way to do that, just look for yes on eight

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<v Speaker 3>thirty six dot com or Google Google Yes, stay question

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<v Speaker 3>eight thirty six any say, as long as you get

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<v Speaker 3>the eight thirty six in there, you'll you'll be able

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<v Speaker 3>to find it, all right.

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<v Speaker 1>That sounds pretty darkn good. So that's that's all we got.

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<v Speaker 1>And uh, you know, I appreciate you being with us

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<v Speaker 1>here today and talking to us about the eight thirty six.

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<v Speaker 1>I want to thank you very much for being here

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<v Speaker 1>with us. It's a pleasure having you on board. Can't

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<v Speaker 1>wait to see you. Thank this Friday.

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<v Speaker 3>Thank you for the opportunity, appreciate it.

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<v Speaker 2>Thank you for