BROUGHT TO YOU BY: VG_C1.indd 1 9/13/16 4:51 PM VOTERS BY RACE OKLAHOMA 2012 ELECTION OKLAHOMA VOTINGFACTS 100% ENTIRE U.S. 90% 100% 80% 90% 70% 80% 60% 70% 50% 60% 40% 50% % % 66.2% 54.6 54.6% 62.2 30% 40% 58.5% 59.6% 62.3% 20% 30% 48.0% IN 10% 20% 28.7% 0% 10% 1996 2000 2004 0% 2015REGISTERED REPUBLICANS (43.6%) WHITE BLACK OUTNUMBERED DEMOCRATS (43.5%) HISPANIC 58.7% 52.4% 34.2% IN OKLAHOMA FOR THE FIRST TIME This chart depicts the percentage of eligible voter turnout by race. IN STATE HISTORY. * Asian voters numbered less than 75,000, a fi gure too small to determine voting statistics in Oklahoma. 2008 2012 2014 WOMENIN OKLAHOMA VERSUS MEN GENERAL WOMEN GAINED THE RIGHT TO VOTE IN OKLAHOMA IN 1918, THE TWENTY-FIRST STATE. HOWOKLAHOMA TURNOUT DATA WOMEN VOTERS MEN VOTERS 100% Oklahoma general voter turnout 90% VOTED ranked 48th of the 50 states in 80% the 2012 presidential election. 70% IN THE Oklahoma’s ranking was down from 60% 50% 60.3% 58% 60.1% the previous three presidential 59.8% 40% 58.6% 58.8% 54.8% 56.6% 56.5% 2012PRESIDENTIAL elections, 44th in 2008, 37th in 30% 49.8% 2004, and 30th in 2000. 20% ELECTION 10% *percentages have an error rate of 2.3% to 2.6% 0 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 By AGE 18-24 27.3% OKLAHOMA VOTED FOR THE DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE IN ALL BUT % TWO ELECTIONS FROM STATEHOOD IN 1907 TO 1948. SINCE 1948, OKLAHOMA 25-34 34.1 % VOTED FOR THE REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE IN EVERY ELECTION 35-44 50.8 % EXCEPT THE 1964 ELECTION OF DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENT LYNDON B. JOHNSON. 45-64 61.4 65+ 73.0% VG_C2-P1_Intro.indd 2 9/13/16 4:51 PM 2016OKLAHOMA VOTERGUIDE Welcome to the 2016 Oklahoma Voter Guide THE GIFT OF DEMOCRACY It’s your turn. e gift of democracy is that it puts you back in Each Oklahoman’s 2016 general election ballot will include charge every Election Day. e decisions you and a majority of your federal, state, and local elections. is is a presidential election year. fellow voters make result in a fresh mandate to the representatives you One US Senate seat will be decided, along with all four US House elect, and the direct enactment—or rejection—of a proposed new law delegates. Votes will be cast in many Oklahoma Senate and House or constitutional amendment. Nobody’s vote weighs any more than districts. Voters will decide whether to retain two Oklahoma Supreme yours, or any less. It’s a collective reset button, and you get to punch it. Court justices, and several judges on the Court of Criminal Appeals Regrettably, too many Oklahomans have been leaving it up to and Court of Civil Appeals. e governor’s offi ce and most other others. Oklahoma voter turnout has declined signifi cantly in recent statewide elected positions will not appear on the ballot until 2018. years. Participation has fallen nationwide, too. Only 34.2 percent Voter turnout is typically higher in presidential election years. of Oklahoma’s registered voters took part in the 2014 gubernatorial It also tends to be higher in years when more incumbents have election, the lowest percentage since 1962. Oklahoma didn’t begin opponents, which is the case this year. tracking statewide voter registration totals until 1960. Another draw is the presence of seven state questions on the ballot. Participants in a recent national survey cited numerous reasons for ey address a range of issues: death-penalty execution methods, not voting, including dislike of candidates, a general lack of interest, agriculture, education funding, law enforcement (two questions), and a belief their vote doesn’t matter. But the most common explana- public spending for religious purposes, and the overhaul of our state tion was that they considered themselves too busy or had time confl icts. alcohol laws. Too busy for democracy? Too uninterested to take part? Maybe it’s Democracy isn’t perfect. Voters sometimes lament the choices time to reconsider. State voters showed more enthusiasm a century ago. they make. But at least they earned the right to feel regret. One of In Oklahoma’s fi rst election, held two months before statehood took the better arguments for taking part in the process of democracy is eff ect in 1907, about 18 percent of the state’s population cast ballots. At self-protection: “Elections belong to the people,” Abraham Lincoln the time, only men over the age of 21 could vote. In 2014, when women reportedly said. “It’s their decision. If they decide to turn their back and men over the age of 18 could cast ballots, only 34.2 percent of the on the fi re and burn their behinds, they will just have to sit on state’s citizen population did so. Oklahoma women won the right to vote their blisters.” in 1918, two years before the Nineteenth Amendment was ratifi ed. Eigh- Election Day is Tuesday, November 8. Protect your backside. Take teen-year-olds received the right to vote in 1971. If participation had kept the time to study your options and fi nish making your choices. is pace with eligibility, the participation rate should have doubled. voter guide—our gift to you—is designed to help. 2016 OKLAHOMA VOTER GUIDE | 1 VG_C2-P1_Intro.indd 1 9/13/16 4:51 PM Election Day & VOTINGINFORMATION THE 2016 GENERAL ELECTION WILL BE HELD TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, FROM 7 A.M. TO 7 P.M. HERO IMAGES/GETTY IMAGES Q: WHICH RACES WILL APPEAR ON of the Oklahoma Senate’s forty-eight seats are BALLOTS ACROSS THE STATE? aff ected by this year’s elections. A: e US Presidency. One US Senate seat, four US House seats, and seven Q: WHY AREN’T THE GOVERNOR AND state questions. Many seats in the OTHER STATEWIDE OFFICIALS ON THE SELFIE CONTROL Oklahoma Senate and Oklahoma House BALLOT? Made popular by our younger generation, the of Representatives. Retention votes A: Most of them will appear on the 2018 selfi e has beome a orm o sel eression aross for seven members of the Oklahoma ballot. One Corporation Commissioner was soial latorms and digital media ven in the Supreme Court, the Court of Criminal re-elected automatically this year when her olitial shere, selfi es have been used to boast Appeals, and the Court of Civil Appeals. opponent withdrew from the race. ivi engagement as voters roudl ose ith At the county level, many court clerks, ioni oted stiers, or their mared ballot in county clerks, county sheriff s and county Q: WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO VOTE? the voting booth, better non as the ballot selfi e commissioners. In some locations, A: All Oklahoma residents who are US citizens, As letion a aroahes, it is imortant or municipal offi cials and local bond issues. at least eighteen years old, legally competent, voters to no ho these means o eression fi t and not subject to a current felony sentence. ithin state las A convicted felon is allowed to vote in hough there is no ederal la banning the Q: DO I NEED TO MAKE DECISIONS ballot selfi e, eah state defi nes its on guidelines ABOUT ALL OF THOSE? Oklahoma after their original sentence is regarding the use o media in a olling lae A: No. You can cast as many or as few completed. n lahoma, tatute 70 states that it is votes as you like. If you only vote in illegal to share our mared ballot hile voting, one race or on one state question, that Q: WHERE CAN I VOTE? and aording to tatute 7 reorters and vote will still count. A: On Election Day, only in the precinct where hotograhers ma not hotograh an voter you’re registered. For a list of precinct polling maring a ballot in a olling lae Q: WHERE CAN I FIND A SAMPLE places and other voter information, visit the e amshires ban on ballot hotos as BALLOT LISTING MY CHOICES? Oklahoma State Election Board website, stru don b a ederal udge in 05, romting By the end of September, individualized elections.ok.gov. the state to aeal the deision and fi ght against A: sample ballots are available on the State the ballot selfi e one more n turn, soial media Election Board website, elections. giant nahat fi led an amius brie in the ase Q: WILL I NEED IDENTIFICATION WHEN I in Aril, stating its onern that antiballot selfi e ok.gov. County election boards provide GO VOTE? regulation inringes uon irst Amendment rights sample ballots, too. A: Generally speaking, yes. You may present he lahoma tate letion oard reom valid photo identifi cation issued by mends that voters should not hotograh their Q: WHY ISN’T MY SENATE OR HOUSE federal, state, or tribal authorities, such as mared ballot and ost their ballot selfi e to soial DISTRICT ON THE BALLOT? a driver’s license or passport. If you do not media, but, there is no legal enalt or doing A: If a candidate ran unopposed or faced have a photo ID, you can present your so oever, taing a hoto o another voters only same-party opposition, he or she has voter identifi cation card. If you have no mared ballot is illegal and ould lead to riminal been elected and will not appear on the identifi cation, you may cast a provisional harges November 8 ballot. In addition, only half ballot accompanied by a sworn affi davit.