Oklahoma, 1 of 6 states with straight-party voting, not likely to change rule soon
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Oklahoma is one of six states where voters can submit a "straight party" ballot, meaning a voter can check one box to vote for every candidate in a particular political party, rather than voting in every individual race.
The impact in Oklahoma: Of the 1.1 million ballots counted in this month's election, nearly 40% were straight-party ballots — 335,040 were straight-party Republican ballots, 139,000 were straight-party Democratic ballots, and about 5,300 were straight-party Libertarian ballots.
Two years ago, 46% of Oklahoma voters submitted a straight-party ballot.
More:Were the polls wrong? Some predicted a landslide victory for Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt
The other states: Straight-party ballots are also used in Alabama, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan and South Carolina, according to Ballotpedia. Since 2010, 11 states have ended the practice.
Alabama had the highest use of straight-party ballots this year at more than than 46%.
The history of straight-party voting: Straight-party ballots in Oklahoma originally began under Democratic rule, when party leaders would tell voters to “stamp the rooster,” a reference to the Democrats' icon on the ballot.
"Straight Party" voting has a long tradition in Oklahoma. Here is what the straight party ticket looked like at the 1907 "statehood" elections. (Sample ballot from Okfuskee County.) pic.twitter.com/BW3WyCtiKm
— Oklahoma State Election Board (@OKelections) November 11, 2022
While most states do not offer a straight-party option, American voters increasingly support one party over the other.
In 2020, about 80% of voters across the country said they planned to support candidates for president, the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate from the same party, according to Pew Research Center.
More:Gov. Kevin Stitt's new chief of staff signals a push for 'innovative' education solutions
The future of straight-party voting: There have been efforts in Oklahoma to end the use of straight-party ballots, mostly from Democrats who feel it gives Republicans an advantage.
“When we are looking for representation, it is best to pick people that are most rooted in our communities — who we know and who we’ve researched,” Rep. Trish Ranson, D-Stillwater, recently told KOCO. “I think straight-party voting gets in the way of that, as well.”
Ranson said she plans to file a bill next year that would end the practice, but its odds of even getting a hearing are very slim as Republicans control the state Legislature.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma 1 of 6 states where voters can submit 'straight party' ballot
