Last updated: October 20, 2026

Ardmore, OK: Flock camera fight heads to a February recall vote

Residents in Ardmore, Oklahoma are seeking to recall four city commissioners — Plesher, Ellis, Sjulin, and Credle — over the commission's decision to renew the city's Flock Safety automated license plate reader contract. Organizers say they have gathered more than 6,000 signatures across the four petitions. The Carter County Election Board is now verifying those signatures; if enough are certified as valid, a recall election is expected in February 2027.

How the recall works

Under the Ardmore city charter, a recall petition must contain valid signatures equal to 20% of votes cast in the last general election that included a governor's race. That works out to approximately 1,072 valid signatures per commissioner. Organizers reported collecting well over that threshold across all four petitions.

The Carter County Election Board must verify every signature before the recall can be placed on the ballot. In early September 2026, the board verified the first recall statements, with each commissioner drawing well over 100 valid signatures in that initial check. Full verification of all submitted signatures was ongoing as of mid-October 2026.

If the board certifies that enough valid signatures were gathered for each commissioner, a recall election is expected to be scheduled for February 2027. The recall elections for each commissioner would be held separately. A recall vote is not a vote on the Flock contract itself — it is a vote on whether to remove the commissioner from office.

The case each side makes

The recall statements filed against Commissioners Plesher, Ellis, and Sjulin accuse them of failing to represent the people, infringing on privacy rights, and lacking transparency in the decision to renew the Flock contract. The statement against Commissioner Credle focuses on his absence from the vote rather than his position on the cameras.

The commission voted to renew the contract, leaving the cameras active. The commission has not publicly reversed that decision. The cameras remain in operation while the recall process proceeds.

The specific arguments commissioners made in favor of renewal, and any formal responses to the recall statements, were not detailed in the sources reviewed for this guide.

Regional context

The Flock debate has played out across several cities in the Texoma region. In Marietta, Oklahoma — about 35 miles north of Ardmore — the city council canceled its Flock contract in August 2026 after residents packed a meeting. Marietta's police chief said he learned the company had been retaining data longer than the city's 30-day policy.

Across the state line, Sherman, Texas voted 7-0 on Oct. 19, 2026 to direct the city manager not to renew its Flock contract and to remove its 11 cameras. For more on the Sherman vote and the broader Texas context, see our guide: Sherman, TX: Council votes on Flock contract Resolution 7682.

What happens next

The Carter County Election Board continues to verify the submitted signatures. If it certifies enough valid signatures for each commissioner, a recall election is expected in February 2027. If the board finds that any petition falls short of the required threshold, the recall for that commissioner would not proceed.

A successful recall removes the commissioner from office; it does not automatically change the city's Flock contract. Any decision on the contract would fall to the commission as constituted after the election.

You can browse camera locations reported in Ardmore on the Ardmore camera map, or see all cities with reported cameras.

Frequently asked questions