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More Oklahomans are registered to vote ahead of a general election than ever. Will they turn out?

Two voting stations in an Oklahoma polling location.
Xcaret Nuñez
/
KOSU
Two voting stations in an Oklahoma polling location.

More Oklahomans than ever are registered to vote as they head to the polls for Tuesday's election. Oklahoma State Election Board officials released the latest registration numbers on Monday.

There are 2.4 million Oklahomans registered to vote as of November 1.

That’s up by 141,023 voters since January 15 and 29,056 since the end of September.

52% percent of all registered voters in Oklahoma are Republicans. Just over a quarter are Democrats and about a fifth are Independents. Less than one percent are registered as Libertarians.

But voter registration numbers don’t necessarily translate to voter turnout. Still, state election board secretary Paul Ziriax said in a press release he hopes it does.

“I am encouraged by the latest numbers and the growth in registered voters we have seen over the past several years,” Ziriax said. “Hopefully, they point to better overall turnout for the General Election.”

Ziriax's hope isn't unfounded, though, if this year's early turnout numbers indicate how election day might go.

About 293,000 Oklahomans have already cast their ballots, also a new record.

Here are the number of registered voters in Oklahoma ahead of each of the last presidential elections dating back to 2000, when the state started tracking registration:

2024: 2,442,211

2020: 2,259,113

2016: 2,157,450

2012: 2,114,713

2008: 2,184,092

2004: 2,143,978

2000: 2,233,602

Data from the federal Election Assistance Commission shows that voters who register are far more likely to make it to a poll.

In 2020, for example, 54% of eligible Oklahomans turned out to vote, translating to about 77% of all registered voters in the state and some of the worst turnout rates in the country.

Copyright 2024 KOSU

Lionel Ramos