|
|
1) High number of unopposed state legislative races
2) Low voter participation in Oklahoma
3) Increasing number of registered Independents
(Recent Margins of Victories by district
also shown below)
|
Percentage
of State Legislative Races Unopposed- Midterm
|
|
Year
|
Nov.
|
Nov.
Hs.
|
Nov.
Sen.
|
Primary
|
Hs.
Primary
|
Sen.
Primary
|
|
1978
|
55%
|
58%
|
42%
|
69%
|
70%
|
67%
|
|
1982
|
65%
|
66%
|
58%
|
74%
|
73%
|
79%
|
|
1986
|
45%
|
48%
|
33%
|
67%
|
69%
|
58%
|
|
1990
|
45%
|
43%
|
54%
|
65%
|
65%
|
63%
|
|
1994
|
53%
|
53%
|
50%
|
82%
|
83%
|
79%
|
|
1998
|
42%
|
45%
|
29%
|
83%
|
86%
|
73%
|
|
2002
|
42%
|
43%
|
38%
|
84%
|
86%
|
79%
|
|
2006
|
50%
|
52%
|
38%
|
79%
|
80%
|
77%
|
|
Average
|
49%
|
51%
|
43%
|
75%
|
76%
|
72%
|
|
Percentage
of State Legislative Races Unopposed- Presidential
|
|
Year
|
Nov.
|
Nov. Hs.
|
Nov. Sen.
|
Primary
|
Hs. Primary
|
Sen. Primary
|
|
1980
|
68%
|
68%
|
67%
|
76%
|
75%
|
81%
|
|
1984
|
52%
|
53%
|
46%
|
69%
|
67%
|
77%
|
|
1988
|
46%
|
47%
|
46%
|
72%
|
73%
|
67%
|
|
1992
|
46%
|
48%
|
42%
|
74%
|
77%
|
60%
|
|
1996
|
25%
|
29%
|
8%
|
74%
|
77%
|
60%
|
|
2000
|
39%
|
44%
|
21%
|
82%
|
81%
|
85%
|
|
2004
|
31%
|
35%
|
17%
|
68%
|
71%
|
56%
|
|
Average
|
44%
|
46%
|
35%
|
73%
|
74%
|
70%
|
The
number of primaries has gone down in recent years, in the last ten years
(five elections) only 20.7% of potential 250 major party legislative
primaries have drawn at least two candidates (so 79.3% unopposed primaries).
Voter Turnout
Note
that Voting Age Population (VAP) includes some ineligible individuals, so
voting eligible population is about 100,000 less than VAP.
Data
from http://www.eac.gov/election_resources/turn/oklah.htm and
http://elections.gmu.edu/voter_turnout.htm
|
Oklahoma Voter Registration and Turnout
in Midterm Elections - 1982 to 2006
|
|
Year
|
Total VAP
|
Total Registered
|
Turnout
|
%Reg
VAP
|
%T/O regist.
|
%T/O VAP
|
|
|
1982
|
2,346,265
|
|
883,130
|
|
|
37.64
|
|
|
1986
|
2,343,190
|
|
909,925
|
|
|
38.83
|
|
|
1990
|
2,313,340
|
|
911,314
|
|
|
39.39
|
|
|
1994
|
2,394,000
|
2,043,592
|
1,002,363
|
85.36
|
49.05
|
41.87
|
|
|
1998
|
2,463,000
|
1,737,229
|
859,713
|
85.36
|
55.26
|
34.91
|
|
|
2002
|
2,620,000
|
1,687,477
|
1,018,424
|
85.36
|
60.35
|
38.87
|
|
|
2006
|
2,735,701
|
2,008,973
|
926,462
|
73.44
|
46.12
|
33.87
|
|
|
average OK voter turnout in
mid-term elections
|
52.7% (94-06)
|
37.9%
|
|
Oklahoma Voter Registration and Turnout in
Presidential Elections - 1980 to 2004
|
Year
|
Total VAP
|
Total Registered
|
Turnout
|
%Reg
VAP
|
%T/O regist.
|
%T/O VAP
|
|
1980
|
2,207,000
|
1,469,320
|
1,149,708
|
66.58
|
78.25
|
52.09
|
|
1984
|
2,408,000
|
1,949,989
|
1,255,676
|
80.98
|
64.39
|
52.15
|
|
1988
|
2,404,000
|
2,199,014
|
1,171,036
|
91.47
|
53.25
|
48.71
|
|
1992
|
2,328,000
|
2,302,279
|
1,390,359
|
98.90
|
60.39
|
59.72
|
|
1996
|
2,426,000
|
1,979,017
|
1,206,713
|
81.58
|
60.98
|
49.74
|
|
2000
|
2,531,000
|
2,233,602
|
1,234,229
|
88.25
|
55.26
|
48.76
|
|
2004
|
2,678,000
|
2,143,978
|
1,463,758
|
80.06
|
68.27
|
54.66
|
|
average OK voter turnout in
presidential elections
|
63.0%
|
55.4%
|
Voter Registration as Independent
in Oklahoma
Year
Percent
1969 1.0 %
1979 1.8 %
1988 2.7 %
2000 8.3%
2006 10.4%
Margins of Victory
Remember that Governor Henry's 33% margin was considered
a “landslide” victory
|
2004-06 Oklahoma Senate Races
|
|
Seat
|
Rep%
|
Dem%
|
Margin%
|
|
1
|
39.1
|
60.9
|
21.8
|
|
2
|
42.06
|
57.94
|
15.88
|
|
3
|
|
|
|
|
4
|
21.06
|
78.4
|
57.34
|
|
5
|
|
|
|
|
6
|
|
|
|
|
7
|
|
|
|
|
8
|
|
|
|
|
9
|
35.1
|
64.9
|
29.8
|
|
10
|
41.53
|
58.47
|
16.94
|
|
11
|
12.78
|
87.22
|
74.44
|
|
12
|
52.65
|
47.35
|
5.3
|
|
13
|
3.32
|
62.68
|
59.36
|
|
14
|
|
|
|
|
15
|
57.41
|
42.59
|
14.82
|
|
16
|
41.75
|
58.25
|
16.5
|
|
17
|
|
|
|
|
18
|
68.76
|
31.24
|
37.52
|
|
19
|
67.76
|
32.24
|
35.52
|
|
20
|
|
|
|
|
21
|
39.66
|
60.34
|
20.68
|
|
22
|
68.76
|
31.24
|
37.52
|
|
23
|
61.56
|
38.44
|
23.12
|
|
24
|
51.01
|
48.99
|
2.02
|
|
25
|
|
|
|
|
26
|
49.26
|
50.74
|
1.48
|
|
27
|
79.59
|
20.41
|
59.18
|
|
28
|
|
|
|
|
29
|
64.83
|
35.17
|
29.66
|
|
30
|
|
|
|
|
31
|
53.46
|
46.54
|
6.92
|
|
32
|
36.66
|
63.34
|
26.68
|
|
33
|
48.52
|
51.48
|
2.96
|
|
34
|
60.64
|
39.36
|
21.28
|
|
35
|
|
|
|
|
36
|
64.56
|
35.44
|
29.12
|
|
37
|
65.33
|
51.48
|
13.85
|
|
38
|
63.65
|
36.35
|
27.3
|
|
39
|
25
|
75
|
50
|
|
40
|
59.17
|
40.83
|
18.34
|
|
41
|
69.24
|
30.76
|
38.48
|
|
42
|
|
|
|
|
43
|
56.74
|
43.26
|
13.48
|
|
44
|
|
|
|
|
45
|
|
|
|
|
46
|
30.47
|
69.53
|
39.06
|
|
47
|
71.36
|
28.64
|
42.72
|
|
48
|
|
|
|
|
avg margin of victory
|
|
|
28%
|
|
unopposed
races
|
|
|
33%
|
|
2006 Oklahoma House Races
|
|
Seat
|
Rep%
|
Dem%
|
Margin%
|
|
1
|
|
|
|
|
2
|
|
|
|
|
3
|
|
|
|
|
4
|
17.52
|
82.48
|
64.96
|
|
5
|
|
|
|
|
6
|
39.04
|
60.96
|
21.92
|
|
7
|
|
|
|
|
8
|
|
|
|
|
9
|
|
|
|
|
10
|
46.13
|
53.87
|
7.74
|
|
11
|
|
|
|
|
12
|
|
|
|
|
13
|
|
|
|
|
14
|
46.24
|
53.76
|
7.52
|
|
15
|
22.83
|
77.17
|
54.34
|
|
16
|
|
|
|
|
17
|
|
|
|
|
18
|
|
|
|
|
19
|
|
|
|
|
20
|
59.64
|
40.36
|
19.28
|
|
21
|
|
|
|
|
22
|
|
|
|
|
23
|
54.8
|
45.2
|
9.6
|
|
24
|
|
|
|
|
25
|
50.01
|
49.99
|
0.02
|
|
26
|
63.47
|
36.53
|
26.94
|
|
27
|
60.5
|
39.5
|
21
|
|
28
|
36.14
|
63.86
|
27.72
|
|
29
|
51.32
|
48.68
|
2.64
|
|
30
|
54.8
|
45.2
|
9.6
|
|
31
|
57.11
|
42.89
|
14.22
|
|
32
|
28.42
|
71.58
|
43.16
|
|
33
|
70.01
|
29.99
|
40.02
|
|
34
|
|
|
|
|
35
|
67.15
|
32.85
|
34.3
|
|
36
|
47.06
|
52.94
|
5.88
|
|
37
|
44.29
|
55.71
|
11.42
|
|
38
|
|
|
|
|
39
|
|
|
|
|
40
|
73.15
|
26.85
|
46.3
|
|
41
|
71.01
|
28.99
|
42.02
|
|
42
|
|
|
|
|
43
|
64.66
|
35.34
|
29.32
|
|
44
|
27.64
|
72.36
|
44.72
|
|
45
|
49.58
|
50.42
|
0.84
|
|
46
|
60.51
|
39.49
|
21.02
|
|
47
|
|
|
|
|
48
|
|
|
|
|
49
|
36.72
|
63.28
|
26.56
|
|
50
|
52.46
|
47.54
|
4.92
|
|
51
|
|
|
|
|
52
|
|
|
|
|
53
|
64.19
|
35.81
|
28.38
|
|
54
|
|
|
|
|
55
|
33
|
67
|
34
|
|
56
|
|
|
|
|
57
|
|
|
|
|
58
|
|
|
|
|
59
|
53.31
|
40.15
|
13.16
|
|
60
|
|
|
|
|
61
|
|
|
|
|
62
|
58.32
|
41.68
|
16.64
|
|
63
|
|
|
|
|
64
|
65.96
|
34.04
|
31.92
|
|
65
|
|
|
|
|
66
|
|
|
|
|
67
|
|
|
|
|
68
|
|
|
|
|
69
|
75.48
|
24.52
|
50.96
|
|
70
|
66.31
|
33.69
|
32.62
|
|
71
|
|
|
|
|
72
|
|
|
|
|
73
|
|
|
|
|
74
|
57.44
|
38.61
|
18.83
|
|
75
|
|
|
|
|
76
|
|
|
|
|
77
|
48.34
|
51.66
|
3.32
|
|
78
|
46.87
|
53.13
|
6.26
|
|
79
|
|
|
|
|
80
|
71.25
|
28.75
|
42.5
|
|
81
|
|
|
|
|
82
|
|
|
|
|
83
|
65.93
|
28.49
|
37.44
|
|
84
|
|
|
|
|
85
|
50.5
|
49.5
|
1
|
|
86
|
|
|
|
|
87
|
48.49
|
51.51
|
3.02
|
|
88
|
|
|
|
|
89
|
|
|
|
|
90
|
|
|
|
|
91
|
|
|
|
|
92
|
37.6
|
62.4
|
24.8
|
|
93
|
50.78
|
49.22
|
1.56
|
|
94
|
54.21
|
45.79
|
8.42
|
|
95
|
56.27
|
43.73
|
12.54
|
|
96
|
67.84
|
32.16
|
35.68
|
|
97
|
|
|
|
|
98
|
66.86
|
33.14
|
33.72
|
|
99
|
18.34
|
76.85
|
58.51
|
|
100
|
|
|
|
|
101
|
|
|
|
|
Average
margin of victory
|
|
|
24%
|
|
unopposed
races
|
|
|
52%
|
|
