More than half of Oklahoma voters sat out Tuesday’s midterm election.
Statewide turnout was 45.84%, according to unofficial results from the Oklahoma State Election Board. That’s a notable decline from 50.35% in 2022.
All 77 counties saw their turnout percentage decline compared to four years ago. Voter turnout was lowest in Comanche County, home to Lawton, and rural southeastern Oklahoma, where some counties get most of their news from out-of-state sources.
The drop-off was lowest in urban Oklahoma County, where the number of votes cast increased from 2022. However, turnout remained down, as the county has added about 26,000 new voters over the past four years.
Oklahoma has historically had one of the worst voter participation rates in the U.S. That remained true this year, as just 37% of the state’s voting-eligible population cast a ballot, according to the University of Florida Election Lab.
Lawmakers have taken up some measures to make voting easier, including adding an extra early voting day for general elections in 2021. But the state’s voter registration deadlines and absentee ballot requirements are stricter than many other states.
There were also technical issues with Oklahoma’s online voter registration system in the afternoon hours of Oct. 9, the final day to register to vote in the general election. State election officials blamed it on a connection error with Service Oklahoma, which cross-checks information against driver’s license data. Officials said the problem was resolved within a couple of hours and prospective voters were able to submit an online application later that evening.
Some lawmakers and political party leaders called for the state to push back the voter registration deadline because of the technical difficulties. In response, Election Board Secretary Paul Ziriax said state statute is ironclad and does not allow for extensions.
Curious about how voter turnout in your county compares to the rest of the state? Use this interactive Datawrapper chart I created to find out more.
This article is republished with permission from Oklahoma Watch.
