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Thursday, Sep 17, 2026

Do Fewer Than Four in 10 Oklahomans Participate in Presidential Elections?

Matthew Yim, Oklahoma Watch
yes

1,566,173 Oklahomans voted in the 2024 presidential election, which is about 39% of Oklahoma’s total population – but that includes children and others ineligible to vote.

53% of the voting-eligible population and 64% of those registered to vote participated in the 2024 presidential election. Both rates are markedly under their national counterparts of 64% and 89% – consistent with historical trends. The average eligible turnout rate from 2002-2024 in Oklahoma was 46%, compared to 52% nationally.

The voting-eligible population is determined by subtracting noncitizens and felons from all citizens 18 and older residing in the United States. The size of this ineligible group varies by state, depending on each state’s disenfranchisement laws. Almost every state – including Oklahoma, where voting rights are restored upon completion of a sentence – restricts voting rights for those with criminal convictions.

6.5% of Oklahoma’s 2024 ballots were absentee.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

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