Fewer straight-party votes cast in Oklahoma

About 10 percent fewer Oklahomans voted straight party on this year’s ballot compared with four years ago. About 120,000 fewer straight-party Republican votes were cast this year, even though the president, a Democrat, failed to win a single county.

BY MICHAEL MCNUTT | Published: November 11, 2012

Anti-Obama fever that swept across Oklahoma didn’t result in voters last week swarming to vote straight-party Republican.

Only one in three Oklahomans voted Tuesday for President Barack Obama, and the president again failed to win any of the state’s 77 counties. (He won 33.2 percent of the vote this year, compared with 34.4 percent in 2008.) But the percentage of straight-party Republican voters dropped about 10 percent compared with four years ago, from 41.4 percent in 2008 to 31.4 percent this year, figures from the state Election Board show.

photo - This 2008 sample ballot allowed voters to choose among categories of races to vote straight party, compared to 2012, where there was one overall straight party option. Fewer Oklahomans chose straight party this year.

This 2008 sample ballot allowed voters to choose among categories of races to vote straight party, compared to 2012, where there was one overall straight party option. Fewer Oklahomans chose straight party this year.

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About 120,000 fewer Oklahoma voters cast straight-party Republican ballots Tuesday, according to the state Election Board. About 64,000 more Republicans than Democrats voted a straight-party...
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