For the first time in state history, Republicans make up more than half of all of Oklahoma’s registered voters.
The Oklahoma Election Board released its final pre-election voter statistics Monday, which showed that Republicans account for just over 50% of the state’s nearly 2.3 million registered voters.
Democrats, who claimed a majority of the state’s registered voters last in 2004, now make up nearly one-third of the total voters while independents make up 16.1% and Libertarians make up under 1%.
The data, current as of Nov. 1, continues to show the spread of the Republican Party’s influence in the state.
Compared to this time in the lead up to the 2016 election, Republicans have added a net of 145,839 registered voters. Democrats, during the same timeframe, have lost a net of 106,048 voters.
Independents, meanwhile, added a net of 50,580.
The number of areas of the state where Republicans outnumber Democrats is also on the rise.
Going into the 2016 presidential election, there were more GOP registered voters than registered Democrats in 60 of the state’s 101 legislative House districts. That can now be said of 80 House districts.
The Republican gains come after decades of the party expanding its reach in the state. In 1960, the oldest year the state has records for, Republicans made up only 17.6% of the state’s registered voters.
The total amount of registered voters is also up from four years ago. Total registered voters increased by nearly 5% during the four-year period.
“The surge in voter registrations is a clear indication that Oklahomans are highly interested in the 2020 General Election. It is a positive sign for higher voter participation this year,” said Oklahoma State Election Board Secretary Paul Ziriax in a statement. “The new statistics also continue the decades-long growth trend for Republicans and Independents as a percentage of Oklahoma’s electorate.”
Trevor Brown has been an Oklahoma Watch reporter since 2016. He covers politics, elections, health policies and government accountability issues. Call or text him at (630) 301-0589. Email him at tbrown@oklahomawatch.org. Follow him on Twitter at @tbrownokc
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