Oklahoma Senator Larry Boggs (R-Wilburton) and Representative Jeannie McDaniel (D-Tulsa) have introduced SB 1578 and HB 2551. These identical bills provide that when only one party has any candidates for a particular office, and there are no independent candidates, then every registered voter can vote in the dominant party’s primary for those offices.

If this bill passed, many state legislative races would be altered. In 2012, there were 57 races in which only one party, and no independent, ran anyone. The state had 125 legislative seats up in 2012. Thanks to E. Zachary Knight for this news.