Rep. Townley plans to file bill to update tied election procedures

Townley to File Bill Updating Procedures for Tied Elections

OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Tammy Townley, R-Ardmore, today announced her intention to file a bill next session updating election procedures in the event of a tied election.

Townley represents House District 48, which includes Carter County. She said the bill was inspired by the outcome of the June 18 primary election for Carter County Sheriff. A recount on June 28 confirmed both candidates received 2,569 votes.

Current statute does not allow for runoff elections when only two candidates run for a position. Title 26, Section 8-105 states any race that remains tied after provisional ballot analysis and a recount must be decided by a lot held by the county election board.

Ultimately, the winner of that race was chosen via a random drawing of a name from a bucket.

Second Amendment Sanctuary movement now has 25 county sheriffs on board

Following new declarations over the weekend, 25 Oklahoma counties now call themselves Second Amendment Sanctuaries.

Logan County Sheriff Damon Devereaux started a movement among county sheriffs in Oklahoma last week when he declared his county to be a Second Amendment Sanctuary County. Since Saturday, four new counties have joined with declarations of their own. I also discovered three county commission boards that passed resolutions supporting their sheriff's sanctuary declaration.

There are at least two other counties where sheriffs have made Sanctuary-sympathetic comments, but I'm waiting until they put pen to paper before adding them to this list.

The following list is in roughly chronological order, with links to each county's official statement.

1. Logan County Sheriff, County Commissioners
2. Stephens County Sheriff
3. Canadian County Sheriff
4. Haskell County Sheriff, District Attorney
5. Bryan County Sheriff
6. Pittsburg County Sheriff, District Attorney
7. LeFlore County Sheriff
8. Cimarron County Sheriff
9. Coal County Sheriff
10. Cotton County Sheriff, County Commissioners
11. Kiowa County Sheriff, County Commissioners
12. Pushmataha County Sheriff
13. Latimer County Sheriff
14. Atoka County Sheriff
15. McCurtain County Sheriff
16. Major County Sheriff
17. Johnston County Sheriff
18. Ottawa County Sheriff
19. Choctaw County Sheriff
20. Lincoln County Sheriff
21. Caddo County Sheriff
22. Blaine County Sheriff
23. Creek County Sheriff, County Commissioners 
24. Carter County Sheriff
25. Osage County Sheriff