Oklahoma Has Lowest Voter Turnout In Nation, Despite Record-Breaking Registration

Oklahoma had record-breaking voter registration ahead of the 2024 general election, but a new report shows the state had the lowest voter turnout in the nation. 

Related: https://election.lab.ufl.edu/2024-general-election-turnout/ 

The State Election Board reported that more than 2.4 million Oklahomans were registered before the Nov. 5 election, 141,023 registered voters since January 15, and a net increase of nearly 29,056 since Sept. 30.

A report from the University of Florida that tracked the 2024 General Election Turnout, shows that only 53.44% of eligible voters actually cast a ballot last Tuesday. 

The report also shows that 3,131,836 Oklahomans are of voting age, and 2,956,347 are eligible to vote, but only 1,580,000 ballots were counted in the November election. 

The report tracks the total number of ballots counted, not just votes for president, and is getting their information from the state election board.

“We’re starting at a low bar because six out of ten people in Oklahoma who are eligible to vote haven’t traditionally voted,” said Rep. Forrest Bennett, (D- OKC).

Bennett told News 9 in an interview on election night that he was proud of the milestone in voter registrations this year but is urging those registered voters to actually get out and cast their ballot.

“Any candidate or politician in Oklahoma claiming that they have any kind of mandate from the people is lying frankly, simply for the fact that we don’t have enough participation in Oklahoma,” said Bennett.

The Democratic representative from Oklahoma City is now urging Oklahomans to have a seat at the table and plug into local, state, and national issues.

“What we need more of is people paying attention to what's going on at the legislature year in and year out, especially non-election years,” said Bennett.

The state election board reports that 1.56 million Oklahomans voted for president this year, meaning almost 14,000 Oklahomans didn’t participate in that portion.

“Politics takes an interest in every single one of us. regardless of whether we’re interested in it. The more we can do to hold the folks in power accountable the better it will be for everybody,” said Rep. Bennett.

Also ranking in the bottom 10 states when it comes to voter turnout is Texas with 56%m along with Mississippi and Tennessee at 57%. On the other end of the spectrum, Minnesota and Wisconsin had the highest voter turnout with 76% of eligible voters turning out.

This is the first time in 12 years that voter participation in a presidential election fell in Oklahoma. In 2020, about 69% of registered voters cast their ballots. In both elections, Donald Trump won all 77 counties.