Statement Wednesday From Paul Ziriax, Secretary of the State Election Board

Oklahoma Voice: General election voter turnout declines in Oklahoma

OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma voter turnout has fallen from the previous two major election years, despite key statewide races appearing on the ballot Tuesday.

Statement Wednesday from Paul Ziriax, Secretary of the State Election Board

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK — More than one million Oklahoma voters cast their ballots November 3 in the 2026 General Election. However, the total votes cast and turnout percentage for the 2026 General Election were down compared to the last two…

Oklahoma Election Turnout Falls Despite Strong Early Voting

More than 1 million Oklahomans voted in the November 3 General Election, but participation fell below the last two gubernatorial elections, according to State Election Board Secretary Paul Ziriax. Both the number of ballots cast and the turnout percentage were lower than in 2022 and 2018. Ziriax said strong early voting had raised hopes for greater overall participation. “While the high turnout for early voting this year created optimism that participation numbers might exceed previous years, unfortunately, this did not equate to a high voter turnout overall,” Ziriax said in a November 4 statement. Ziriax also addressed technical problems that delayed election-night reporting in Cleveland and Comanche counties. He said the counties experienced separate issues transmitting results to the State Election Board, rather than problems with the results themselves. Cleveland County used a backup system to upload its results. As of Ziriax’s November 4 statement, Comanche County’s results were still being manually entered into the reporting system. “While I understand the eagerness to have quick results, as election officials our objective is to ensure that every vote is counted and properly reported,” Ziriax said. He thanked voters, poll workers and election officials, as well as the technical staff who worked overnight to address the reporting delays. County election results are scheduled for certification after 5 p.m. Friday, November 6. State and federal results are scheduled for certification Tuesday, November 10.

Statement from the Secretary of the State Election Board, Paul Ziriax - Oklahoma Farm Report

More than 1 million Oklahoma voters cast their ballots on November 3 in the 2026 General Election. However, the total votes cast and turnout percentage for the 2026 General Election were down compared to the last two gubernatorial elections in 2022 and 2018. While the high turnout for early voting this year created optimism that