As the Nov. 5 general elections approach, it’s critical to reassess the practice of straight-party voting. Straight-party voting allows voters to select all candidates from one party with a single mark. While this may seem convenient, it disengages voters from thoroughly evaluating each candidate and contributes to the election of officials based solely on party loyalty rather than merit.
In the 2022 general election, about 42% of voters in Oklahoma selected a straight-party ticket. Of those who voted straight-party, nearly 70% were Republicans, and about 29% were Democrats. This marks a slight decrease from 2020, when 45.5% of voters used the straight-party voting option. In the 2018 elections, about 40% of voters used straight-party voting, showing that the trend has remained relatively consistent over recent years. Candidates like Ryan Walters, whose policies as state schools superintendent have been criticized for damaging Oklahoma’s public education system, gained office through this process. The dangers of voting purely along party lines become evident when unqualified or unsuitable candidates are elected without proper scrutiny.
Research supports these concerns, showing that straight-party voting discourages voters from making informed decisions. Voters often bypass learning about individual candidates and rely solely on party affiliation. This has fostered a political environment where partisanship triumphs over thoughtful deliberation, resulting in a system that stifles competition and reinforces the dominance of the major parties…