State Election Board says publicly available voter registration information—not state election systems—was obtained by Chinese actors.
OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma election officials sought Friday to reassure voters after newly declassified federal documents identified Oklahoma as one of six states where Chinese government actors downloaded publicly available voter registration information in 2022, emphasizing that the state’s election systems were never breached.
The briefing came one day after President Donald Trump referenced the declassified documents during a nationally televised address, describing voter rolls in several states as having been “compromised” and renewing his call for additional federal election security measures, including nationwide voter identification requirements and passage of the SAVE Act.
State Election Board Secretary Paul Ziriax said the federal documents describe the download of voter registration information that was publicly available under Oklahoma law through a commercial website—not a breach of the State Election Board’s computer systems or databases.
According to the declassified memorandum, the information consisted of publicly available voter registration records. The document did not indicate that Oklahoma’s voting equipment, ballots, election management systems or vote-counting systems were compromised.
“The information that was obtained was public information under Oklahoma law … not from the State Election Board’s systems or databases.”
— Paul Ziriax, Secretary, Oklahoma State Election Board
Paper ballots, offline equipment
Oklahoma uses a uniform statewide voting system based on hand-marked paper ballots. Optical scanners tabulate the votes, but the paper ballots remain the official record and are available for audits or recounts.
The voting devices used to tabulate ballots cannot be connected to the internet, according to the Election Board. Before every election, ballots, election databases and voting equipment undergo testing to verify they function correctly. Strict chain-of-custody procedures govern access to ballots and voting equipment, while digital signatures and other security features are designed to detect unauthorized changes.
Each precinct is staffed by bipartisan election officials representing Oklahoma’s two largest political parties. After polls close, county election boards canvass results to verify that printed totals from voting devices match the results reported through the state’s election management system.
County election boards also conduct random audits following statewide elections under procedures established by the State Election Board. According to Ziriax, candidate-requested recounts and post-election audits have consistently confirmed the accuracy of Oklahoma’s voting equipment.
Oklahoma has required voters to verify their identity before receiving a ballot for more than 15 years. Voters may present an approved government-issued photo identification card, a tribal identification card or the free voter identification card issued by their county election board. Those who do not have an acceptable form of identification may cast a provisional ballot by signing a sworn affidavit affirming their identity.
Multiple layers of protection
The Election Board also highlighted additional safeguards involving voter registration records.
Effective Nov. 1, 2025, Senate Bill 1086 authorized the State Election Board to compare voter registration records with federal, state and local databases containing citizenship information as part of its voter registration maintenance procedures.
Election administration in Oklahoma is carried out by the State Election Board and the state’s 77 county election boards. Ziriax said the combination of voter identification, hand-marked paper ballots, equipment testing, physical security, bipartisan oversight and post-election verification is intended to give voters confidence that every lawful vote is counted accurately.
Friday’s briefing was intended to clarify that while publicly available voter registration information may have been downloaded by foreign actors several years ago, Oklahoma’s election infrastructure, voting equipment and vote-counting systems were not compromised.
“Oklahoma takes election security very seriously,” the Election Board said. “Our state has excellent laws and procedures in place to help ensure the integrity of elections in our state.”
This story is based in part on reporting by KOSU.
