OKLAHOMA CITY – State Rep. Trish Ranson, D-Stillwater, bill to repeal straight-party voting, House Bill 1016, failed the House Elections and Ethics Committee on Tuesday with a partisan vote of 1-4.
The four votes cast against the measure came from Republican representatives.
“This is an issue that was brought up time and time again on constituent doorsteps. We are one of only six states across the nation that utilizes the antiquated practice of straight-party voting,” Ranson said in a release.
In the Nov. 3 election, 710,379 Oklahomans marked the straight-party voting, including 71% of those being from Republicans.
Along with Oklahoma, Alabama, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan and South Carolina have a “straight party” or “straight ticket” option on ballots.
“Oklahoma has the opportunity for a civics knowledge revival as democracy works best with an educated public, and I feel strongly that straight-party voting is a barrier to that opportunity,” Ranson said.
However, many Oklahomans say the straight-party option is convenient and doesn’t actually affect the way people vote.
“If we remove straight-party voting, I believe many folks will continue to vote along party lines, but they would at least do so while acknowledging each candidate equally,” Ranson concluded with.
Texas is one of the latest states to get rid of straight-ticket voting and did so in the 2020 election.
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