Oklahoma primary electoral system
Encyclopedia
The Oklahoma primary electoral system is a voting system
used to elect one winner from a pool of candidates using preferential voting
. Voters rank candidates in order of preference, and their votes are initially allocated to their first-choice candidate. If, after this initial count, no candidate has a majority
of votes cast, a mathematical formula comes into play. The system was used for primary election
s in Oklahoma
, USA
between being adopted in 1925 and being ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court of Oklahoma in 1926.
of the first-preference votes, then every candidate would have ½ (one-half) their number of second-preference votes added to their total. If, after this, any candidate had a majority of votes cast, they would be declared winner; if not, and there were only two preferences expressed, the winner would be whoever had the highest total. If, however, there were five or more candidates and none held a majority after this second round, then each would have ⅓ (one-third) their number of third-preference votes added on, and after this, whoever had the highest total would be declared winner.
In the above example, no candidate has 26 or more first-preference votes, so it is necessary to use the second-preference votes: each person's number of second-preference votes is divided by two and added onto their number of first-preference votes – this new total is shown in (brackets).
None of these new totals exceeds the majority figure of 26 either, so the third-preference votes are now factored in. Each candidates number of third-preference votes is divided by three and added on, shown in [square brackets]. At this stage, Alice, Carol and Dave all have totals in excess of 26, but Dave's is the highest, so he is the winner despite the fact that he was ranked first by fewer people than was Alice.
of Jack C. Walton, fifth Governor of Oklahoma
, is said to have "frightened" the state "into a system
of preferential voting as an escape from minority nominations." In his own nomination, Walton received only "an extremely
small per cent of the total votes cast," yet was still selected as the Democratic Party
candidate, and this perceived injustice led to the Oklahoma Legislature
resolving to adopt a different electoral system. However, it was not until the final day of debate on the law that the workings of the system chosen were agreed upon.
The decision to require voters to rank their preferences, which contrasted with most other states' procedures merely giving people the option of doing so – for that matter, only eight states used preferential voting at all – was an attempt to balance the competing concerns of preventing bullet voting
(people deciding to only list their first choice) and of not forcing people to give any mileage to candidates they found unacceptable. The Oklahoma Senate
initially wanted to give second- and third-preference votes equal weight, but the bill was eventually amended to weight them one-half and one-third respectively, it having been decided that this was "the more equitable practice."
The initial adoption of what was a highly unusual electoral caused significant comment in the media and in academia. The law was described as "the most interesting and important primary legislation of the year," by the American Political Science Review
, identifying two particular features as particularly intriguing: firstly, the requirement that voters rank a certain number of candidates, and secondly, the "improvement" of giving lower-preference votes less weight: "Here, then, appears to be something new under the sun—compulsory preferential voting for all who take the trouble to come out to the primary!" However, the requirement to rank candidates was also described as "obnoxious" and unfair to people who found only one candidate acceptable.
In 1926, the Oklahoma Supreme Court declared the 1925 law "null and void" and ruled that it was unconstitutional to "make it mandatory upon the voter to express a second choice when three or more candidates are running for a given office and a second and third choice when more than four candidates are running for a given office in order to have his vote counted," since such a principle could not "be harmonized with the constitutional guaranties
that no power [should] ever interfere to prevent the free exercise of the right of suffrage
." A writ
was issued banning elections from being held under the system. Subsequently, Oklahoma's brief stint of preferential voting was analysed as having been "unsatisfactory."
Voting system
A voting system or electoral system is a method by which voters make a choice between options, often in an election or on a policy referendum....
used to elect one winner from a pool of candidates using preferential voting
Preferential voting
Preferential voting is a type of ballot structure used in several electoral systems in which voters rank candidates in order of relative preference. For example, the voter may select their first choice as '1', their second preference a '2', and so on...
. Voters rank candidates in order of preference, and their votes are initially allocated to their first-choice candidate. If, after this initial count, no candidate has a majority
Majority
A majority is a subset of a group consisting of more than half of its members. This can be compared to a plurality, which is a subset larger than any other subset; i.e. a plurality is not necessarily a majority as the largest subset may consist of less than half the group's population...
of votes cast, a mathematical formula comes into play. The system was used for primary election
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
s in Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
between being adopted in 1925 and being ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court of Oklahoma in 1926.
System
If there were only two candidates, then a simple first past the post election was held. However, if there were more, then voters were required to rank a certain number of candidates in order of preference (any voter who did not rank enough candidates would have their ballot-paper voided): in a three- or four-candidate contest, each elector would get two choices, and in a five-or-more-candidate race, three choices. In the event that no single person received a majorityMajority
A majority is a subset of a group consisting of more than half of its members. This can be compared to a plurality, which is a subset larger than any other subset; i.e. a plurality is not necessarily a majority as the largest subset may consist of less than half the group's population...
of the first-preference votes, then every candidate would have ½ (one-half) their number of second-preference votes added to their total. If, after this, any candidate had a majority of votes cast, they would be declared winner; if not, and there were only two preferences expressed, the winner would be whoever had the highest total. If, however, there were five or more candidates and none held a majority after this second round, then each would have ⅓ (one-third) their number of third-preference votes added on, and after this, whoever had the highest total would be declared winner.
Worked example
| Candidate | Preference | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| Alice | First choices | 21 |
| Second choices | 8 (25) | |
| Third choices | 7 [27⅓] | |
| Bob | First choices | 9 |
| Second choices | 10 (14) | |
| Third choices | 5 [15⅔] | |
| Carol | First choices | 17 |
| Second choices | 16 (25) | |
| Third choices | 4 [26⅓] | |
| Dave | First choices | 20 |
| Second choices | 10 (25) | |
| Third choices | 26 [33⅔] | |
| Emma | First choices | 18 |
| Second choices | 7 (21.5) | |
| Third choices | 9 [24½] |
In the above example, no candidate has 26 or more first-preference votes, so it is necessary to use the second-preference votes: each person's number of second-preference votes is divided by two and added onto their number of first-preference votes – this new total is shown in (brackets).
None of these new totals exceeds the majority figure of 26 either, so the third-preference votes are now factored in. Each candidates number of third-preference votes is divided by three and added on, shown in [square brackets]. At this stage, Alice, Carol and Dave all have totals in excess of 26, but Dave's is the highest, so he is the winner despite the fact that he was ranked first by fewer people than was Alice.
History, adoption and reaction
The impeachmentImpeachment in the United States
Impeachment in the United States is an expressed power of the legislature that allows for formal charges against a civil officer of government for crimes committed in office...
of Jack C. Walton, fifth Governor of Oklahoma
Governor of Oklahoma
The governor of the state of Oklahoma is the head of state for the state of Oklahoma, United States. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, the governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the Oklahoma executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma...
, is said to have "frightened" the state "into a system
of preferential voting as an escape from minority nominations." In his own nomination, Walton received only "an extremely
small per cent of the total votes cast," yet was still selected as the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
candidate, and this perceived injustice led to the Oklahoma Legislature
Oklahoma Legislature
The Legislature of the State of Oklahoma is the biennial meeting of the legislative branch of the government of Oklahoma. It is bicameral, comprising the Oklahoma House of Representatives and the Oklahoma Senate, with all members elected directly by the people. The House of Representatives has 101...
resolving to adopt a different electoral system. However, it was not until the final day of debate on the law that the workings of the system chosen were agreed upon.
The decision to require voters to rank their preferences, which contrasted with most other states' procedures merely giving people the option of doing so – for that matter, only eight states used preferential voting at all – was an attempt to balance the competing concerns of preventing bullet voting
Bullet voting
Bullet voting is a tactic in which the voter only selects one candidate, despite the option to indicate a preference for other candidates. They might do this either because it is easier than evaluating all the candidates, or as a form of tactical voting.If enough voters bullet vote, almost any...
(people deciding to only list their first choice) and of not forcing people to give any mileage to candidates they found unacceptable. The Oklahoma Senate
Oklahoma Senate
The Oklahoma Senate is the upper house of the two houses of the Legislature of Oklahoma, the other being the Oklahoma House of Representatives. The total number of Senators is set at 48 by the Oklahoma Constitution....
initially wanted to give second- and third-preference votes equal weight, but the bill was eventually amended to weight them one-half and one-third respectively, it having been decided that this was "the more equitable practice."
The initial adoption of what was a highly unusual electoral caused significant comment in the media and in academia. The law was described as "the most interesting and important primary legislation of the year," by the American Political Science Review
American Political Science Review
The American Political Science Review is the flagship publication of the American Political Science Association and is the most prestigious journal in political science according to the ISI 2004 Journal Citation Report...
, identifying two particular features as particularly intriguing: firstly, the requirement that voters rank a certain number of candidates, and secondly, the "improvement" of giving lower-preference votes less weight: "Here, then, appears to be something new under the sun—compulsory preferential voting for all who take the trouble to come out to the primary!" However, the requirement to rank candidates was also described as "obnoxious" and unfair to people who found only one candidate acceptable.
In 1926, the Oklahoma Supreme Court declared the 1925 law "null and void" and ruled that it was unconstitutional to "make it mandatory upon the voter to express a second choice when three or more candidates are running for a given office and a second and third choice when more than four candidates are running for a given office in order to have his vote counted," since such a principle could not "be harmonized with the constitutional guaranties
Oklahoma Constitution
The Constitution of the State of Oklahoma is the governing document of the U.S. State of Oklahoma. Adopted in 1907, Oklahoma ratified the United States Constitution on November 16, 1907, as the 46th US State. At its ratification, the Oklahoma Constitution was the longest governing document of any...
that no power [should] ever interfere to prevent the free exercise of the right of suffrage
Suffrage
Suffrage, political franchise, or simply the franchise, distinct from mere voting rights, is the civil right to vote gained through the democratic process...
." A writ
Writ
In common law, a writ is a formal written order issued by a body with administrative or judicial jurisdiction; in modern usage, this body is generally a court...
was issued banning elections from being held under the system. Subsequently, Oklahoma's brief stint of preferential voting was analysed as having been "unsatisfactory."