As the Nov. 5 general elections approach, it’s critical to reassess the practice of straight-party voting. Straight-party voting allows voters to select all candidates from one party with a single mark. While this may seem convenient, it disengages voters from thoroughly evaluating each candidate and contributes to the election of officials based solely on party loyalty rather than merit.
In the 2022 general election, about 42% of voters in Oklahoma selected a straight-party ticket. Of those who voted straight-party, nearly 70% were Republicans, and about 29% were Democrats. This marks a slight decrease from 2020, when 45.5% of voters used the straight-party voting option. In the 2018 elections, about 40% of voters used straight-party voting, showing that the trend has remained relatively consistent over recent years. Candidates like Ryan Walters, whose policies as state schools superintendent have been criticized for damaging Oklahoma’s public education system, gained office through this process. The dangers of voting purely along party lines become evident when unqualified or unsuitable candidates are elected without proper scrutiny.
Research supports these concerns, showing that straight-party voting discourages voters from making informed decisions. Voters often bypass learning about individual candidates and rely solely on party affiliation. This has fostered a political environment where partisanship triumphs over thoughtful deliberation, resulting in a system that stifles competition and reinforces the dominance of the major parties.
One way to address these issues is through the adoption of open primaries in the future, which allow all voters, regardless of party affiliation, to participate in selecting candidates. Open primaries can reduce partisanship, promote inclusivity, and encourage voters to select candidates based on their qualifications. Currently, Oklahoma has a partially closed primary system, which limits participation and reinforces party dominance. Adopting open primaries would allow for more representative outcomes, giving voters the freedom to evaluate candidates on their merit rather than simply following party lines.
To bring about such change, Oklahomans can support ballot initiatives for open primaries through the initiative petition process. Groups like Oklahoma United are already advocating for reforms that would reduce partisanship and promote a more engaged, informed electorate. By supporting these efforts, voters can help create a system where each candidate is judged on their qualifications, not just their party label.
I urge voters to resist the convenience of straight-party voting. Take the time to research each candidate, understand their positions, and make informed decisions. A great resource for this is the Oklahoma Policy Institute’s 2024 General Electionpage, which serves as a one-stop shop for voters to learn more about the candidates on their ballots. It also provides detailed information on the two state questions included in this election.
Political parties must realize that when voters choose not to engage in straight-party voting, they send a clear message: blind allegiance to party lines is no longer enough. By moving away from this practice, voters can demand that candidates earn their votes through merit, responsiveness and genuine solutions. If parties fail to adapt to this shift and continue ignoring voter concerns, they risk losing support and relevance.
Oklahoma’s future depends on electing leaders based on their ability to serve the public, not their allegiance to a political party.
Let’s move toward a more representative and thoughtful democracy, where voters can trust that their leaders are chosen based on merit and shared values for the benefit of their communities.
This election, let’s send a message to our elected officials and candidates: The days of relying solely on party loyalty for electoral success are fading, as voters increasingly prioritize accountability and informed choices.
Recently, I had the privilege of speaking to a group of international students at the University of Tulsa about civic engagement on our campus. The motto displayed on a wall in our office provided the foundation for the discussion: “Create the world you want to live in.” This vision is built on four pillars: serve, advocate, inform policy and vote.
Engaged citizens understand the importance of volunteer service, advocating for causes that matter to them, and informing policy through communicating with decision-makers and elected officials.
With the upcoming general election, these international students were particularly eager to discuss the fourth pillar.
During the discussion, a question was posed to the group: “How many of you have the opportunity to make a difference in your country by voting?” Only about half raised their hands — a sobering reminder of the privilege we often take for granted.
Sharing statistics of our low voter turnout in Oklahoma was even more regrettable with an audience of people who are not allowed the opportunity to vote. The international students had many questions about why turnout is so low in the United States. Barriers such as the structure of Oklahoma’s primary system, challenges with early and mail-in voting, and general voter disenfranchisement are often cited, but in this context, those explanations felt inadequate.
Analysis of the 2020 presidential election revealed that Oklahoma ranked last among states in turnout of the voting-eligible population. This is especially pronounced among young voters, ages 18-29, who face unique hurdles. Younger people often move to pursue an education or job opportunity and have not yet developed consistent voting patterns or awareness of various registration and absentee ballot deadlines. They may not feel well-informed about local candidates and local issues in their new communities.
Oklahoma’s college campuses, including ours, are full of first-time voters from across the country, often grappling with basic but important questions: “Can I register with my home address or campus address?” “What is my home state’s absentee ballot deadline?” “How do I know my absentee ballot is counted?”
“Where can I find a notary?” Despite navigating these obstacles for the first time, it’s been encouraging to see more student-led voter registration drives and engagement with local candidates on our campus, which we hope will lead to a meaningful increase in turnout among our students.
Obstacles to voting have always existed in this country. African Americans and women were long denied the right to vote, and even after the passage of amendments guaranteeing their rights, disenfranchisement persisted with tactics like literacy tests and poll taxes. Until 1971, the voting age was restricted to people 21 and older, and it wasn’t until 1982 that Congress mandated more accessible voting for the elderly and people with disabilities.
As we continue to improve voting access, we must not become complacent. By voting on Nov. 5, we honor the generations who fought for this fundamental right.
We show respect to our military personnel who defend it today, and we acknowledge the millions around the world who can only dream of having that right. Oklahoma, we are better than last. Let’s rise to the challenge.
Oklahoma United plans to seek a citizen petition to reform the state’s closed primaries to a unified ballot with party labels included.
All candidates appear on a primary ballot, and all voters are eligible to vote. The top two candidates in the state and federal elections would go to a general election.
Oklahoma is a land of generous and kind people, professional opportunity and a great quality of life, which is why both of us moved here and have stayed here since the early 1980s.
While Oklahomans have diverging political views, almost everyone agrees the state will need vibrant, successful public schools staffed with talented teachers if we want younger generations to continue to choose the Sooner State as their home.
Success on this front is not a given. Supporting, maintaining and continuously improving our schools has always been a challenge.
Lately, however, the teachers in our orbit (including several family members and loved ones) have gone from cautiously optimistic to panicked about the future of education in Oklahoma.
The usual concerns about funding and resources – while still present – have been replaced with alarm over ill-defined mandates coming down from state officials with an extreme agenda at odds with the values and beliefs of the majority of Oklahomans.
The purpose of this op-ed is not to catalogue the political turmoil surrounding our public schools; readers of the the Tulsa World are familiar with it. Rather, we want to draw attention to how our system of choosing elected officials is contributing to extremism and distraction from commonsense solutions supported by most Oklahomans.
The gulf between the priorities of our elected officials and everyday Oklahomans can be laid squarely at the feet of our closed primary system. This is a system that has empowered small minorities (literally 20% or less of the voting population) of highly motivated, ideological partisans to select our candidates in primaries paid for by Oklahoma taxpayers but not open to all voters.
In the closed primary system, independents and Democrats are prohibited from voting in Republican primaries. Likewise, Republicans cannot vote in the Democratic primaries. By the time most of us vote in November, the vast majority of major party candidates either run unopposed in general elections or win in landslides.
The result of this closed system is that many Oklahomans have simply tuned out politics and opted not to vote. In the last presidential election, Oklahomans ranked 50th in the nation in voter participation.
Turnout is particularly dismal among voters under 30, less than one-in four of whom voted in November 2022.
Voter apathy and our closed, exclusionary primary system have created a vicious cycle of extremism.
Oklahoma’s moderate silent majority has increasingly opted not to participate in our elections, meaning the 15% to 20% of partisans who are allowed to and choose to participate in primaries hold the vas tmajority of our political power.
These are the only people whose whims our elected officials cater to, and they do not align with the concerns of the average citizen.
The solution is to change our system of voting from a closed primary to what is called a “unified primary.” In such a system, every voter can participate in our primaries, regardless of their party registration. And every candidate, regardless of party, will appear on one unified primary ballot, with the top two vote-getters moving to a November general election.
Only when we move to that more open, inclusive system will we create an environment where every voter — not just fringe partisans — truly matters. When every voter matters, politicians either adopt the widely shared priorities and values of their constituents or are voted out of office.
That’s when we can get back to, for instance, our teachers focusing on what they do best - improving student performance in reading and math – as opposed to being forced to fight in culture war.
We are both at the stage in our lives and careers when we are asking ourselves what we can do to leave a positive legacy and a positive impact on our Tulsa and Oklahoma communities. We can think of nothing better than to advocate for the kind of commonsense changes in our democratic institutions that will increase voter participation, close the ideological divide between voters and politicians and deliver a new generation of civil servants that shares the priorities of all citizens of Oklahoma, not just the vocal minority.
We can achieve all that by pursuing open primary elections and ending the exclusionary and overly polarizing status quo.
Ken Cox practiced law at Hall Estill starting in 1981 and is now retirednand living in Tulsa. Tom Ladner has lived and worked in Tulsa since 1981. He is the managing partner of the law firm Ladner & Eldredge.
The current system of closed primaries is horrible. If anything, it discourages people from voting. Why go to the polls when you have very little choice or don't care for the people running in your party? I am all for open primaries, which would hopefully increase voter turnout.
- Cindy Westbrook, Oklahoma City-
For the first time in many years, I didn’t vote in an Oklahoma primary election.
It might sound odd coming from the editor of a political nonprofit publication and from someone who typically shows up at even the lowest turnout elections, including one where a single school board race was on the ballot.
But when Election Day arrived in June, I felt an unusual surge of apathy and decided not to drive to my polling location.
There was one key item on the primary ballot that interested me — a state House race. Two Republicans — incumbent Preston Stinson and Steve Herburger — were facing off. It was a winner-take-all outcome. The winner faces no opponent in November.
But as a registered independent voter, I couldn’t weigh in on the outcome of the race. The only issue I was aware of on my ballot was a local lodging tax initiative.
Instead, 2,575 Republicans got to choose who will represent the roughly 39,700 constituents who reside within House District 96, which encompasses parts of Oklahoma City, Edmond and Arcadia and five school districts.
I don’t think anything drove home the worthlessness of my vote more than a visit from a Herburger supporter, who stopped at our home stumping for votes.
He had no interest in speaking with me because he had a list of registered Republicans living in our home.
Under our closed primary systems, I couldn’t vote in the race, so he focused his pitch on the person who mattered — my husband.
I don’t think I’ve ever felt more disenfranchised at that moment, and I think subconsciously, I decided I wasn’t going to vote.
I share this story because Democracy Day is once again upon us.
Coinciding with the International Day of Democracy each year on Sept. 15, the event is designed to “draw attention to the crisis facing American democracy.”
I think the biggest threat to democracy in our state is voter apathy.
Oklahoma ranked 50th in turnout in November 2020, according to one report that also factored in voters from Washington D.C. Only Texas fared worse.
The closed primary system that we have in place that empowers a few to make decisions for many isn’t helping. Our political parties can voluntarily choose to open their primary elections, but there’s no requirement to do so. Oklahoma Democrats have temporarily opened theirs. Republicans and Libertarians have not.
That means a huge swath of voters sometimes don’t have the power to weigh in on who should represent them at our state Capitol.
As of August, over 466,000 Oklahomans identified as independents. Just shy of every 1 in 5 voters potentially might not have access to our primary contests. In the House District 96, Democrats and Libertarians were also disenfranchised and wound up with Stinson, who won the Republican primary, by default.
This stupidity has set up a situation where moderate Oklahomans — the silent majority — feel like their voices don’t matter or are drowned out by the loud chatter from people on the far fringes of both ends of the political spectrum.
That vocal minority are the people who typically show up to vote in primaries. Our lawmakers have drawn legislative districts that are favorable to specific parties or even candidates.
And our existing system empowers our want-to-be lawmakers to ignore constituents outside their parties.
Because why should any lawmaker care what an independent voter thinks if they won’t have the ability to vote for them in the next primary election?
I fear that’s allowed the people who do turn out to take control of our political narratives, and that’s not good for democracy or Oklahoma policymaking.
Our schools rank in the bottom 10 in academic outcomes. But instead of focusing on concrete ways to recruit better teachers and improve academic outcomes, we’re fighting bizarre battles over where children can go to the bathrooms, what topics we can teach our children and whether Bibles should be used as a teaching tool in every classroom.
Meanwhile, nearly 1 in 4 children face hunger, yet we’re again turning down federal funding designed to alleviate that suffering.
Nearly 55% of Oklahomans live in child care deserts, which means there’s not enough care to meet demand. That affects the ability of adults to pull themselves out of poverty and employers to hire quality workers who are also parents. It’s a needle we haven’t moved.
A recent study found that we rank 43rd worst in the number of children living in poverty.
We ranked 50th — only ahead of Mississippi — in our state health system performance, which looks at things like access, quality, usage, cost and health disparities and outcomes.
The list goes on and on.
Is it any wonder we’re cellar dwellers with voter turnout rates?
It doesn’t inspire a lot of confidence that casting a ballot is going to matter.
I’m sure I’ll get emails telling me to register as a Republican.
But I shouldn’t have to in order to fulfill a basic tenet of democracy — the right to choose my elected representative.
And, I should have a say in who represents me in our state Capitol each November because otherwise what’s the point of having democracy?
If any race is going to be decided in a primary, perhaps it should be placed on the General Election ballot instead. If not, maybe it’s time to take a look at adopting an open primary system like many other states have done.
But in any case, it’s time to take a closer look at whether we are doing enough to ensure that we have a vibrant, fully functioning democratic system of government and that we’re not disenfranchising large swaths of voters.
Because right now, we’re not doing enough to ensure we’re fulfilling the most basic tenant.
And we’re all suffering the effects of that.
Political attention may be on the presidential election on Nov. 5, but Oklahomans have largely wrapped up the business of selecting the majority of our state and local officials.
That’s because in Oklahoma’s closed primary system, the important elections — where officials are chosen who make policies concerning education, transportation and public safety — happen in June and August. By the time the November election occurs, there are very few meaningful decisions left for Oklahomans to make.
Of the 127 state legislative seats up for grabs this year, 85 (more than two-thirds) were filled in a partisan primary in June or August. The numbers for sheriff are stunning — 71 of Oklahoma’s 77 counties will either select a sheriff in a primary election or rubber stamp an unopposed candidate. Even when candidates for offices like state Legislature appear on a November ballot, the vast majority of these contests are lopsided affairs coronating the winner of whichever major party dominates a particular district.
This means the elections that matter are primary elections. In Oklahoma’s closed primary system, independents are completely locked out of Republican primaries and are allowed to participate in Democratic primaries only at the discretion of the party.
This means Oklahoma’s fastest growing voting population, more than 20% of our electorate, is effectively disenfranchised from the most important elections, even though partisan primaries are funded with all our tax dollars.
Similarly, Republicans living in areas dominated by Democrats and Democrats living in heavily Republican areas are denied the chance to cast a meaningful vote and have limited ballot choices. The real contest occurs during a partisan primary they are outright disenfranchised from.
This system serves no one. Why does this all matter?
Because our current system of closed primaries is feeding discontent and disconnection between the people and decisions that control everything in our lives: our utility bills, school lunches and highways. Only about 1-in-5 voting age Oklahomans participate in primary elections, meaning a small minority of partisans dictate who our state legislators, sheriffs and other office holders are.
More voters show up in the November election, but many people have taken notice of how meaningless these contests are and have chosen not to participate. In 2022, Oklahoma ranked 50th out of the 50 states and the District of Columbia for voter turnout.
A healthy democracy is defined by an engaged electorate and elected officials who feel beholden to a majority of their constituents. Oklahoma has neither, and the culprit is our closed primary system.
The antidote to our current democratic disengagement is to give all lawfully registered voters the ability to participate in the primaries they are already funding.
Opening our primaries, as 38 other states already have done in some form, is a commonsense approach that will encourage voter participation, bring more choices and freedom to all voters, broaden accountability and make our elections meaningful.
At OKUnited, we are specifically advocating for a type of election system known as unified primary.
In this system, all candidates, regardless of party, run on one primary ballot with their party affiliation listed by their name. All registered voters, regardless of their party, then vote for the person they like best, no matter how the voter or the candidate is registered.
The two candidates receiving the most votes, regardless of party affiliation, move to the general election in November.
In this type of system, every citizen in Oklahoma has a chance to vote for their elected officials, regardless of their party registration. Every taxpayer can participate in the elections they help to fund. And every elected official has received the support of a majority of the voting public in their district.
Will moving to a system of open primaries solve every imperfection in our politics? Of course not. But the best way to assure voters that their votes matter is to reform the system so they actually do.
Apache News, August 23, 2024
I am currently studying at OU, and when I come back to my hometown of Apache, I sometimes get asked: “what are college kids saying about politics?” Obviously, it has been an eventful few months on the national political scene, and it is certainly true that college students are following these developments closely.
What is also true is that, no matter how tuned into the presidential election they might be, the rising generation of Oklahomans has been saddled with a system that makes it very difficult to connect with the local and state politics that are more relevant to our daily lives. Our closed, partisan primaries are creating confusion and disaffection in a way that is damaging to the health of our democracy.
My story is a typical one for many voters, especially young ones. When I turned 18 in 2022, I registered as a Republican. However, the issue that really motivated me at the time (and still does) is education. My mom is a teacher, and I went to Boone-Apache for high school (go Warriors!). When we got close to the November election, I started researching legislative candidates to see who was the most supportive of adequately funding our public schools. I was too late — the “real” elections were the June and August Republican primaries. The winners of those elections ran unopposed. If you were not one of the 20 percent of voters who cast a ballot in the Republican primary, you did not get a chance to vote for your state legislators.
Now I’m registered to vote in Norman, and the story is similar. Rep. Jared Deck, a Democrat, is running for reelection unopposed, meaning he will not appear on the general election ballot. Regardless of how you view his performance in office (and I have nothing against him), it is hard for elected officials to feel connected with their constituents, or vice versa, if no one is able to cast a vote for or against them.
State and local elections — which directly impact how we fund our schools, keep our communities safe and build our infrastructure — should be a driving force for political participation. Instead, the closed primary system has almost completely wiped these elections off the November ballot. Consider: 85 of 127 state legislative seats up for grabs in 2024 will not be on the November ballot because a candidate was unopposed or will be when the partisan primaries conclude. Seventy-one of 77 county sheriff positions will have been similarly filled by November. No wonder then that so many Oklahomans are simply choosing not to vote. In the last presidential election, Oklahoma ranked 50 out of 51 (every state plus Washington, DC) for voter turnout.
All of this is why I have chosen to join the group Oklahoma United, which is pushing to reform our system by giving us a type of “open primary” (which 38 states have already adopted in some form or fashion). Specifically, we are advocating for a “unified primary” system. In this type of election, all candidates, regardless of party, run on one primary ballot with their party affiliation listed by their name. All registered voters, regardless of their party, then vote for their preferred candidate. The two candidates receiving the most votes, regardless of party affiliation, move to the general election.
If we are successful, here is what you can expect:
Our current closed primary system is failing to be a constructive tool for facilitating open and inclusive elections whereby a majority of voters elect legislators that represent their interests and views. It’s time to move on.
August 15, 2024
Efforts to end Oklahoma's exclusionary primary elections are underway, and voters ought to get behind the effort. It would allow all voters regardless of party affiliation a say in their representatives. It would improve choices on the ballot and inspire better voter participation.
Oklahoma taxpayers pay for the current primary elections, which is unfair to the tens of thousands of voters who are unable to cast a ballot because they are of a different party or unaffiliated. It's generated an overall apathy and candidates catering to an extreme end of party politics.
The state ranks last in the nation in voter participation. More than 70% of legislative seats in the last three election cycles have been decided in primaries or were uncontested. The restrictive primary system is partly to blame.
Other states found better primary systems generating more candidates to offer diverse viewpoints to the governance. State party leaders and some in elected office to balk; they fear a loss of power. Because of this, change will likely only happen through a grassroots, citizen-led effort.
Oklahoma United announced it plans to seek a citizen petition to amend the state constitution for unified ballot with partisan labels, as reported by Corey Jones of the Lee Enterprises Public Service Journalism Team. Its goal is to have a ballot question in place for the November 2026 election.
The proposed unified ballot works similar to municipal and school board elections with some key differences. One would be candidates listing their party affiliation, so elections remain partisan. Another would be the top two candidates going to a general election, regardless of the number of ballots separating the two.
So, the general election could be two people of the same party or of differing parties. If only two candidates file to run, then they would go directly to the November general election because the primary would be unnecessary. This would affect U.S. congressional, statewide legislative, statewide executive, county offices and district attorney races.
Nothing stops a political party from putting forth a candidate. If the party is strong, then that endorsement would hold influence. But, taxpayers won't be paying for their choice, and other candidates from the party would be allowed on the ballot.
Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum is among several leaders in the state supporting the idea. As a city councilor and mayor, he ran on an open ballot.
"I say this as a Republican who is not afraid of competing with Democrats and independents in the competition of ideas - nor should any Republicans in Oklahoma. If we have confidence in what we believe in and the message that we deliver and the positions that we have, then we should not be afraid of competition. We should welcome it.
"And so, again, I think competition in the marketplace of ideas, just like in any other field, only serves to improve the eventual outcome for the customer.”
Oklahomans embrace their freedoms, and that's what this is about: freedom to seek office and freedom to vote, regardless of fealty to political party bosses.
Read at Tulsa World.
Kimberlee Wilson is an OKUnited intern and senior at Oologah-Talala High School.
Registering to vote in the state of Oklahoma is easier now thanks to an online P.Ortal that serves all Oklahomans. Until recently, a voter registration form had to be physically filled out and mailed to a county or state election board.
It's been reported that despite the surge of people who register to vote in the United States in 2020, voter turnout is still at record lows throughout the country. Our particular part of the country, Oklahoma, had the lowest voter turnout (about 55%) of all the states for the 2020 presidential election. This means that a very small percentage of Oklahomans are deciding the outcomes for 100% of us. A representative democracy is designed to represent the needs and values of all citizens, not a handful.
A major reason Oklahomans don't think their votes count is because closed primaries make it impossible for them to participate in selecting which candidates end up on the ballot for the general elections. The most obvious solution that would optimize the electoral processes and instantly increase the available voter pool is to repeal closed primaries that keep us from being able to make meaningful choices in Oklahoma. In 2022 many candidates for public office in Oklahoma were unopposed, which indicates a lack of interest in voting and civic engagement. Open primaries would put choices in front of all Oklahomans to select candidates that represent us while revitalizing interest in voting.
It's interesting that in 1925 our innovative Oklahoma Legislature passed a form of ranked choice voting, but it was never put into practice. Ironically, our brief and abandoned effort for primary reform was intended to reduce extremism. For too long, almost a hundred years, Oklahomans have been forced into a binary ballot choice that caters to extremism.
We all deserve the opportunity to choose from a variety of candidates that includes people who know how to work together to strengthen our Legislature. Our general election laws allow Oklahomans to vote for candidates of any party, but by then the closed primaries system has ensured a very limited number of candidates chosen by a partisan process marked by voter apathy. The decisions have really already been made. With low voter turnout, candidates succeed by appealing only to a very small population of regular voters.
More voters mean better representation. The "UnmuteOK" campaign launched by Oklahoma United for Progress points out that 94% of Oklahoma elections are decided in the primary, not the general election. Oklahomans of various political affiliations still have shared values and should be permitted to vote accordingly.
Oklahoma already has a secure form of voting, so some form of nonpartisan open primaries would simply create a system proven to make all of our votes meaningful. My message is:
For many young people like me who do not align with one side of political views against another, the current system of closed primaries results in having a small percentage of voters choose who will represent all of us.
Growing up in an immigrant household and knowing many people with resident status who do not have the power to vote motivates me to go into the polls, something I did as soon as I turned 18. I still vote in each election with my family in mind, and I want open primaries for myself and for all Oklahomans so we may vote regularly - not for the party, but for the person.
Yvonne Galvan is an Oklahoma native, a recent University of Oklahoma graduate, and a political researcher who lives and works in Oklahoma City.
If you’ve ever looked at the headlines and thought to yourself, “What the heck is going on?” you’re not alone. I’m right there with you.
Have you thought, said or heard the phrase: “My vote doesn’t matter.” I hear this phrase from all sides of the political spectrum.
Republicans feel as if their votes don’t matter because the current primary system heavily favors their party, so there’s really no reason to participate. Democrats feel as though their votes have no weight at all due to their lack of representation in state government. Independents and Libertarians often share the same sentiment because they have few or no choices.
My friends and I want to be hopeful for our state’s future, but we all feel completely powerless and like no one values us. I’m 17 years old and a senior at Oologah-Talala. Many of my peers accept that their votes don’t make a difference.
In the 2020 election, Oklahoma ranked next to last in the nation in voter turnout, with only Texas lagging, according to an analysis of federal election data. By 2022, Oklahoma had fallen to last place, with only 55% of the eligible population casting a ballot.
Yale University found that it’s vital for young people to vote because voting is habitual. People who vote from the age of 18 are more likely to vote in the future. My generation has lost faith in politics, so they are less likely to vote. Under 25% of eligible voters younger than 30 cast ballots last November.
Why does my generation have such a lackluster view of voting? Independents, the largest growing political group in Oklahoma, are barred from Republican primaries, yet Republicans hold every statewide and congressional seat in our state and a supermajority in the Legislature.
Democrats have voluntarily permitted unaffiliated voters in their primaries, but it’s still not a level playing field for all voters. Regardless of their party affiliation, I want our elected officials to confront issues that young people worry about: education, health care, public safety and the cost of living.
The accomplishments, and lack thereof, have left Oklahoma 46th in the nation for youth well-being as reported by the national Kids Count annual report. This downward trend will continue as long as Oklahoma’s voters neglect the ballot booth. Why? Because our collective apathy disconnects the people from the officials.
How do we restore faith in our political system? Many states have increased voter turnout through primary election reform. An open primary system allows all voters to participate in primary contests, regardless of political affiliation or non-party registration. Six of the highest turnout states in 2022 were states with open primaries. Oklahoma is the only state among our neighbors with a closed primary system.
Voter turnout is a key sign of a healthy democracy.
Open primaries don’t just increase voter turnout. They also have the ability to advance centrist political candidates motivated by topics that concern all aspects of daily life. Moderates or centrists have few chances of appearing on the general election ballot, where all eligible Oklahomans can cast a vote. These results-oriented politicians have potential to help Oklahoma by focusing on commonsense legislation and responding with solutions that improve the quality of life for all of us.
Centrist representatives are more likely to end gridlock in Congress. Brookings found that the presence of centrists in elected bodies creates a 10% decrease in gridlock.
Oklahoma’s growing number of independent or unaffiliated voters, now over 400,000 out of the approximately 2.2 million registered total, demonstrates that gridlock between two major parties is not what our citizens want. We want rational and relatable research, deliberation and solutions to issues impacting all Oklahomans, young and old.
All of these facts are why I volunteer for Oklahoma United for Progress , a nonpartisan organization working to repeal closed primaries to free Oklahomans to vote in all elections.
Oklahoma United is right there with us because it wants what’s best for Oklahoma in a way I haven’t seen in any other organization. Our grassroots efforts connect Oklahomans to the patriotic cause of a better democracy.
I’m channeling my frustration and disappointment into a positive and lasting reform that helps all of us.
All of our electorate deserves to be represented, including my friends and me. When we see higher voter turnout, moderate representation and a decrease in gridlock, we can get to a healthier Oklahoma.
At the end of the day, whether you’re Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, or somewhere in between, that’s a future that we can all hope for. I’m a high school senior, and I want open primaries.
"If you’ve ever looked at the headlines and thought to yourself, “What the heck is going on?” you’re not alone. I’m right there with you.
Have you thought, said or heard the phrase: “My vote doesn’t matter.” I hear this phrase from all sides of the political spectrum.
Republicans feel as if their votes don’t matter because the current primary system heavily favors their party, so there’s really no reason to participate. Democrats feel as though their votes have no weight at all due to their lack of representation in state government. Independents and Libertarians often share the same sentiment because they have few or no choices ..."
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