Oklahoma is finalizing plans to allow independents to vote in its 2016 Democratic primaries, reports KOSU. The state’s Democratic Party Chairman formally notified the Election Board on Monday that independents will be welcome to vote with Democrats in any primary over the next two years. That includes Oklahoma’s presidential primary, which will be held on March first.
The new rule was formally approved at the Oklahoma Democratic Party's convention in July. The change was enacted in hopes of that it will help Democratic candidates appeal to more voters.
Oklahoma holds over a quarter-million independent voters. The voting bloc is the fastest growing in the state.
At this time, the GOP has no plans to open its primaries to independents.