Voter turnout down from 2008 election, Oklahoma officials say

Ziriax said 63,945 Oklahomans cast absentee ballots this year, compared with 62,784 in 2008.

This year, 111,717 showed up at county election boards to vote early, down from 119,482 four years ago.

“Overall, I think more and more people are starting to participate in the early voting process,” he said.

Part of the delay in getting results posted Tuesday was caused by election officials having to count absentee ballots, Ziriax said. Current law provides that absentee ballots must be counted on Election Day, and election officials tabulate the absentee ballots before working on votes cast on Election Day.

Ziriax said he will talk with lawmakers to possibly consider changing state law to allow election officials to count absentee ballots they have earlier than on the day of the election.

“That might help the election boards, especially in the bigger counties, get ahead of the game,” he said.