In 2014’s general election, a little more than 40 percent of registered voters cast ballots. That amounts to about 29 percent of Oklahoma’s voting-age population,reports Oklahoma Watch. That means that, when it comes to voter turnout, Oklahoma ranks near the bottom among states.
And 2014 was bad, even by Oklahoma standards; it was one of the worst years for turnout since the state began keeping track in 1960.
But 2014 was also part of a continuing trend: Over the past decade, voter participation in the state has been declining. So, what can be done? Some lawmakers have put forward bills to encourage turnout. More than 20 such bills have been proposed over the past few years. Almost none of them passed, however.
One that did pass will allow voters to register online instead of having to mail in an application. But that law won’t help in November—it doesn’t take effect until next year.