The Oklahoma State Election Board says a record number of candidates have filed for this year’s elections.
State Election Board Secretary Paul Ziriax says 611 candidates filed for federal, state, legislative and judicial offices before the filing period closed April 3 — the second-highest total in 25 years, trailing only the 2018 filing period during the teacher walkout.
"I’m very pleased at the number of candidates who have been willing to stand before the voters and let the voters make decisions. That’s what democracy is all about," Ziriax said during a recent interview on KGOU's Capitol Insider podcast.
The primary election is June 16.
State Question 832 is on the ballot, which would raise Oklahoma’s minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2029.
Because state questions are nonpartisan, all registered voters may participate, including independents, who are not eligible to vote in party primaries this year.
At the end of March, Oklahoma had more than 2.4 million registered voters. Republicans account for roughly 1.3 million, Democrats 612,000 and independents 495,000.
Ziriax says independents are the fastest-growing segment of the Oklahoma electorate.
