Oklahoma Voters Support Election Board's Refusal to Share Private Data

Sooner State Party vows legal action if federal government continues pushing for access to voter information

Published on Feb. 18, 2026

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A group of Oklahomans, led by C.J. Webber-Neal of the Sooner State Party, held a press conference outside the State Election Board offices to express support for the board's decision to deny the Department of Justice's request for protected voter information like Social Security numbers and driver's license details. They warned they are prepared to sue the federal government if it continues to push for access to this private data, which they say could discourage Oklahomans from voting.

Why it matters

The Department of Justice has requested voter registration data, including sensitive personal information, from most states, sparking concerns about government overreach and potential voter suppression. Oklahoma's refusal to comply with the request has garnered support from local residents who believe protecting voter privacy is crucial for maintaining election integrity and encouraging civic participation.

The details

The Oklahoma Election Board previously provided publicly available voter information to the DOJ, but recently notified the agency that state law bars them from sharing the additional requested data, including Social Security numbers and driver's license numbers. C.J. Webber-Neal of the Sooner State Party said the DOJ's continued requests amount to government overreach and could discourage Oklahomans from voting, as they may be concerned about their personal information being accessed by the government.

  • The press conference was held on Monday, February 17, 2026.
  • The Oklahoma Election Board recently notified the DOJ that it could not share the requested sensitive voter data due to state law.

The players

C.J. Webber-Neal

A member of the Sooner State Party who spoke at the press conference in support of the Election Board's decision to deny the DOJ's request for protected voter information.

Oklahoma Election Board

The state agency that oversees elections in Oklahoma and recently notified the DOJ that it could not share sensitive voter data due to state law.

Department of Justice (DOJ)

The federal agency that has requested voter registration data, including personal information, from most states, sparking concerns about government overreach.

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What they’re saying

“I think that it does not even help with voter integrity because now voters are going to be concerned about voting. So that's going to cause voters maybe not to go vote because they know that the government is going to have that information and it might affect them adversely.”

— C.J. Webber-Neal, Member, Sooner State Party (okgazette.com)

“We've heard from the Election Board as far as what their decision has been, but we also need to start contacting our state officials to let them know that we support the Election Board and we don't want any influences trying to go against the election board.”

— C.J. Webber-Neal, Member, Sooner State Party (okgazette.com)

What’s next

The Sooner State Party is collecting signatures in an effort to become the state's fourth recognized political party, and they plan to continue contacting state officials to express support for the Election Board's decision to protect voter privacy.

The takeaway

This case highlights the ongoing tension between federal and state governments over voter data, with Oklahoma residents firmly backing their Election Board's refusal to share sensitive personal information. The dispute underscores the importance of balancing election integrity with individual privacy rights, and the potential for voter suppression concerns to arise from overzealous data collection efforts.