TULSA, Okla. — Tulsa’s only majority-Black City Council district appears to have recorded the second-highest estimated voting-age participation rate among the city’s six contested council districts on Aug. 25.
District 1 voters cast 4,223 ballots in the five-candidate council race. When compared with available voting-age population data, those votes represent an estimated participation rate of about 14%.
The Black Wall Street Times reached that estimate by comparing election results with available 2020 Census voting-age data.
However, the comparison is not an official turnout rate. The census figures reflect Tulsa’s former council boundaries, while voters cast their ballots under the current map.
The available data still points to a clear conclusion: Low turnout in Tulsa’s municipal elections is not a problem unique to Black communities.
Tulsa’s majority-Black District appears to rank second in estimated participation
District 1 ranked fourth in total ballots among the six contested races. Dist. 9 led with 9,213 votes, followed by Dist. 7 with 4,798 and Dist. 5 with 4,588.
But raw totals do not account for differences in the number of adults living in each district.
Before Tulsa redrew its council map, District 1 had 41,886 residents. About 30,082 were 18 or older, according to 2020 Census data used during redistricting.
District 1’s 4,223 ballots represent about 14% of that former voting-age population. That estimated rate trails only District 9 at 25.9% and narrowly exceeds District 5 at 13.9%.
District 7’s estimated rate was 13%. District 2 reached about 10.1%, while District 3 recorded roughly 7%.
Those estimates carry an important limitation. Tulsa’s new council boundaries took effect in December 2022, and District 1’s total population increased to 45,443.
Current registered-voter totals for each district would provide a more precise comparison. The narrow difference between Districts 1 and 5 could also change under current figures.
Still, District 1 produced more votes than two other contested districts despite having the smallest estimated voting-age population among the six.
District 1 ranks second in estimated voter participation
Estimated voting-age participation among Tulsa’s six contested City Council districts, Aug. 25, 2026
District 1: Tulsa’s only majority-Black council district
Rates compare 2026 ballots with 2020 Census voting-age populations from the former council boundaries. They are estimates—not official turnout rates. Current registered-voter totals could change the ranking.
State ranking source: Election Performance Index (2020)
Analysis: The Black Wall Street Times
Candidates say North Tulsa understood the stakes
The Aug. 25 election sent incumbent Councilor Vanessa Hall-Harper and Dr. Corinice Wilson to a Nov. 3 runoff. Hall-Harper received 1,936 votes, or 45.84%, while Wilson received 1,548 votes, or 36.66%.
Neither candidate secured the majority required to win outright.
In written responses to The Black Wall Street Times, both candidates rejected the claim that North Tulsa residents are politically disengaged. They also said voters understood the stakes surrounding the district’s future.
Hall-Harper pointed to concerns about neighborhoods, land, housing, public safety, economic development and Greenwood. She also said residents have seen progress during her time in office.
However, Hall-Harper said the 4,223 ballots made her reflect on the work that remains. She wants more residents following council agendas, attending town halls and understanding how City Hall affects their daily lives.
“I don’t just want people to vote,” Hall-Harper said. “I want them informed before the vote, engaged between elections and empowered to participate in the decisions that affect their community.”
Wilson said voters discussed the race, compared candidates and encouraged relatives and neighbors to participate.
“More than 4,200 ballots sends a clear message,” Wilson said. “When North Tulsa voters are meaningfully engaged and believe their voices can shape the outcome, they show up.”
Wilson said North Tulsa has a long record of advocacy and organizing. What outsiders label apathy may instead reflect barriers, distrust and residents feeling valued only during elections, she said.
“North Tulsa voters are informed, engaged, and politically consequential,” Wilson said. “Their support must be earned, their concerns must be taken seriously, and their votes should never be taken for granted.”
Andrews: Black voters show up, but parties must earn their support
Alicia Andrews, who led the Oklahoma Democratic Party from 2019 to 2025, said the results demonstrate Black political power.
“When the results say that the majority-Black district showed up in those numbers, you can’t disregard it,” Andrews said. “When you look at who the top performers in that election are—two Black women—you have to believe that is indicative of Black voting power.”
Andrews also addressed longstanding criticism that Democratic organizations depend on Black voters without investing enough in year-round outreach.
“I cannot criticize folks who didn’t come out for you that you didn’t go talk to first,” Andrews said. “You can’t talk about them on the back end if you didn’t go talk to them on the front end.”
Andrews said she made deliberate efforts as state party chair to reach Black, Hispanic and Asian American communities. However, she said years of damage caused by both major parties left significant work to rebuild trust.
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North Tulsa voted despite early-voting barriers
The turnout came after Tulsa County relocated its Election Board from 555 N. Denver Ave. to 12000 E. Skelly Drive.
North Tulsa had no nearby early-voting site for the Aug. 25 election. Residents instead had to travel to East Tulsa or Tulsa Tech’s Broken Arrow campus.
The Tulsa City Council approved a resolution July 29 urging the county Election Board to add an early-voting location in North or northwest Tulsa. The measure also encouraged the use of city facilities and community partnerships.
Hall-Harper sponsored the resolution alongside Councilors Jackie Dutton, Laura Bellis and Lori Decter Wright. She has also worked with state Sen. Regina Goodwin on the issue.
For seniors, disabled residents, working families and people without reliable transportation, the distance created another obstacle.
“North Tulsa is not disengaged,” Hall-Harper said. “North Tulsa is engaged despite the barriers.”
Four-hour bus trip exposes North Tulsa’s voting barriers
Sam Robinson, Data & Organizing Strategist at the Terence Crutcher Foundation, tested that barrier firsthand. Robinson and Bill White traveled from 46th Street North and Hartford Avenue to the new Election Board using public transportation.
Robinson said the nine-mile trip took four hours. It included walking in areas without sidewalks and waiting at unsheltered bus stops in 100-degree heat.
“This is just one example of how harmful policies can disrupt ballot access for Black communities,” Robinson said.
Andrews called Robinson and White’s four-hour journey “depressing.” She said the trip showed that the problem extended beyond distance because the route forced pedestrians to navigate areas without sidewalks and cross multiple lanes of traffic.
Asked what parties and election officials should do before the runoff, Andrews offered a direct answer: “Voter education, voter education, voter education—and then add in some advocacy for access to the ballot box.”
Andrews said she and a coalition of voting-access advocates will continue educating residents about when polls open, where they can vote and who will appear on the ballot.
Terence Crutcher Foundation worked to remove voting barriers
The Terence Crutcher Foundation offered free Uber vouchers to voters who needed transportation during early voting or on Election Day. It also arranged wheelchair-accessible transportation for disabled voters and provided some rides in personal vehicles.
The foundation distributed nonpartisan voting information through text messages, email and social media. It also held a candidate forum at the Tulsa Dream Center and hosted monthly community walks.
Robinson said the competitive council race focused attention on issues affecting North Tulsans’ health, finances and safety. He argued that turnout disparities should not automatically be treated as apathy.
“The harmful stereotype that Black people do not vote will always be disproven when Black communities are given meaningful access to the franchise,” Robinson said.
The road to the Nov. 3 runoff
Both runoff campaigns say they plan to expand their outreach beyond the voters who already support them.
Hall-Harper said her campaign will return to door-knocking, phone calls, churches, neighborhood associations, businesses and community organizations. She also wants to hear from residents who did not vote or supported another candidate.
“We have made progress, but progress is not the finish line,” Hall-Harper said.
Wilson said her campaign will return to homes, churches, neighborhood businesses and other community spaces. She also plans to create more opportunities for residents to question her directly and help shape the campaign’s priorities.
“We are not simply asking people to cast a ballot,” Wilson said. “We are asking them to take ownership of what happens next in District 1.”
The Terence Crutcher Foundation is still considering its runoff plans. Robinson said the organization expects to mount a larger campaign addressing barriers to voting ahead of the midterm election.
District 1’s August participation does not mean turnout was high enough or that barriers no longer matter. It does show that North Tulsa voters participated as strongly as, and in several cases more strongly than, voters elsewhere in the city.
As Hall-Harper put it, the conversation should not stop at why Black people do not vote. Tulsa County election officials must also examine what barriers exist and what they will do to remove them.
