Photo by Abby Bellow
Oklahoma voters may not be particularly eager to rush to the polls for the Nov. 4 midterm elections.
This election, Governor Mary Fallin will square off against two opponents: democrat Joe Dorman and independent Richard Prawdzienski. Lieutenant Governor Todd Lamb will run against democratic candidate Cathy Cummings. Senator seats are up for grabs and several seats in Oklahoma’s local government will appear on the ballot, giving the opportunity for significant changes to come about in Oklahoma.
But despite the full ballot, many believe a lot of registered voters still may not come out.
“I don’t like the low voter participation because this is set up to be a democratic republic, so the entire essence of our government is the vote of the people,” Cody Milner, freshman political science major said. “If people choose not to vote, they are giving up their authority in the government.”
Milner said midterm elections present some of the least-optimistic views on voter turnout.
“I think one of the reasons for the voter turnout is that this is a midterm election on the second term of a presidency so a lot of people think this really isn’t an important election due to the fact that no matter who is elected it’s probably going to be political gridlock,” Milner said.
Only three state questions are on the ballot, but none of them seemed stir voters up enough to get them to the polls. But according to NewsOK, even the ballot questions from 2010 regarding controversial issues such as same-sex marriage, Obamacare and banning Sharia law only drew in about 50 percent of registered voters.
On this 2014 ballot, questions include an amendment to the Oklahoma Constitution, which would allow state government officials to also hold certain military positions and possible changes to homestead exemptions for disabled veterans.
Junior Ashley Tackett feels strongly that voters, especially college students, should take the time to get involved – midterm elections or not.
“I think that it is our right and our duty to contribute back to the government because a lot of really great things come from voting,” Tackett said.
In 2012, Oklahoma had only 49 percent of registered voters participate in elections, lower than all but two states, which has people wondering what to expect with voter turnout this upcoming election.
“It is important for everyone to put in their say because in the end it will make a difference whether they recognize it or not,” Tackett said. “State elections go on to affect the national government as well.”
Democratic Governor candidate Joe Dorman said he places an emphasis on participation throughout college campuses.
“I first became involved in voter participation as a student leader on campus when I was in college and I think it’s important for college students to get out and vote because oftentimes those policies take a toll on them,” Dorman said. “Tuition and fees that students pay are determined by the actions of the legislature.”
Dorman said he has placed great importance on education for his campaign, stating that education is Governor Mary Fallin’s weakness.
“I think the [governor] race is going to be the closest race by far because it’s a major race,” Milner said. “I also think [education] has the potential to win Dorman a lot of votes.”
Dorman said he hopes to implement student loan forgiveness in his administration for areas of study such as medicine and education.
Milner said he urges students to realize that there’s more to an election than just names on a ballot and that they should know the politics behind the names.
“No matter who wins the White House next time or Congress next time, this election is the beginning of the next major Congress set up,” Milner said. “Whoever gets put in now will be the next leaders of Congress so it’s very important to choose the right people now.”
Each candidate has a campaign website where their stances on issues can be found. From this information, voters can then make well-informed decisions before heading to the polls.
While other news outlets aren’t hopeful for large numbers of voters at the polls, some students at Oklahoma Christian University feel it isn’t too late to foster an interest before Election Day.
Tackett said she believes it just takes one person to become passionate about an issue and spread the word to others.
“A lot of people will argue that they think voting isn’t worth it and that their vote doesn’t count,” Tackett said. “But if you rally up your friends and family, numbers make a difference. So maybe your one vote won’t change much, but there’s power in numbers.”
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