Soaking it in: Oklahoma's last dry counties go wet

Voters in all of Oklahoma's remaining “dry” counties voted to go wet Tuesday, or did they?

Beaver County is one of 14 counties to include a proposition allowing for sale of liquor by the drink in Tuesday's election. All 14 counties approved the proposition based on unofficial results, Beaver County passing the measure by seven total votes — 718 to 711.

But 10 provisional ballots remain uncounted.

Beaver County Election Board Secretary Christi Landsen said Wednesday the election board would meet Friday at 4 p.m. to open and count the final votes, which could flip the proposition from a pass to a failure.

If the outcome is reversed, Beaver County will become the last remaining dry county in the state.

In Beaver County and the other previously dry counties, restaurants and other businesses risked being unable to serve beer after Oct. 1 when changes from State Question 792 take effect.

SQ 792 doesn't prohibit the sale of low-strength beer, but rather allows grocery stores and convenience stores to sell strong beer. This removes the need for most major beer producers to ship lower-alcohol versions of their products to Oklahoma, making it difficult for businesses in the “dry” counties to obtain products to sell in bars or restaurants.

Oklahoma Beer Alliance President Lisette Barnes said the unofficial approval from all 14 counties allows for Oklahoma to undergo alcohol-related changes in a more uniform manner beginning in October.

“Now the entire state can embrace the change as a whole,” Barnes said.

Barnes is excited all 14 passed together.

“We had certainly hoped for that, but I was personally surprised we got all to pass,” Barnes said. “It's hard to get so many to pass together.”

The 14 counties to pass propositions are scattered throughout Oklahoma from Cimarron County and Harmon County in the northwest and southwest corners, respectively, all the way to Adair County along the Arkansas border. Mostly rural areas, only about 3 percent of the state's population reside in the counties according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Most passed the propositions with 60 percent approval or higher from voters. Coal County passed the proposition with 75 percent of its voters casting ballots in favor of the proposition.

Julie Breger owns J&J's Sports Bar in Coalgate, located in Coal County, and she is excited for the opportunity to add something new to her business.

“It's going to create more tax revenue, and I think it's a good thing,” Breger said. “It's something I'm going to need to learn because I've never done that, but I'm willing to try. I think it's going to be fun, I need to come up with a Coal County drink.”