Voters in Oklahoma appear to be growing more jaded. Since 2000, the number of eligible citizens who haven’t registered to vote in in the state has more than doubled, reports the Tulsa World.
The trend is partly explained by the evident apathy of voters under 40. During this century, the percentage of Oklahoma adult residents who were not registered to vote increased from 16 percent to 29 percent, according to a study conducted by the World. While residents under 30 often catch flack for their disinterest in the political realm, the largest decline in registration occurred among the 30 to 39 age group. In that group, the number of registered voters fell from 82 percent to 62 percent during the first decade and a half of the century.
Oklahoma is nearly last in among states when it comes to voter registration and participation, according to University of Oklahoma political science professor Keith Gaddie. Critics charge that part of the problem is that Oklahoma is not voter-registration friendly. And Oklahoma does not print voter forms in Spanish or any other languages.