Oklahoman Editorial: Numbers Tell Story: Democratic Party Freefall In OK
Numbers tell the story: Democratic Party in freefall in Oklahoma
by The Oklahoman Editorial Board
WE wrote recently about how the number of people who actually cast ballots in Oklahoma has dropped through years, which is cause for concern. State Democrats have another concern altogether — attracting folks who want to register with the party and support its candidates in primary elections and beyond.
The latest figures from the Oklahoma State Election Board underscore the gravity of this problem for Democrats. From mid-January to the end of September, the state recorded a net increase of more than 35,000 registered voters. But Democratic registration decreased by about 2,800.
Meantime, the Republican Party gained 23,349 registered voters; the number of registered independents increased by 15,019. This continues a trend that’s been particularly telling during the past 10 to 15 years.
In 2000, for example, Democrats made up 56.7 percent of registered voters in Oklahoma. Although well below the 82 percent Democratic registration of 1960 (or the 75.8 percent Democratic registration 20 years later), this was still a significant majority. Indeed in 2000, Republicans made up just 35 percent of registered voters. Independents comprised 8.3 percent.