Is Oklahoma’s voter participation affected by its incarceration rates?

Yes.

Although not all incarcerated individuals are convicted of felonies, those in Oklahoma are barred from voting until they complete their sentences, including any parole and probation, which reduces the number of voting-age individuals eligible to vote.

These decreases vary by state, with disenfranchisement laws ranging from nonexistent to permanent for people with criminal convictions.   

Thus, despite having the fourth-highest incarceration rate in the country – nearly 1.5 times the nationwide rate –  Oklahoma’s disenfranchisement rate of 1.4% is on par with the national rate of 1.7% of the voting-eligible population as of 2024. 

Of the states with the three highest incarceration rates, only Mississippi, with a disenfranchisement rate of 5.4%, permanently disenfranchises some people.

Tennessee and Florida have the highest disenfranchisement rates at 7.7% and 6.1%, respectively – both disenfranchise post-sentence on the basis of unpaid legal monetary obligations.

This Fact Brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

Oklahoma Watch partners with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims.

Sources

Justia U.S. Law 2025 Oklahoma Statutes Title 26. Elections §26-4-101. Persons entitled to become registered voters – Exceptions.Brennan Center for Justice Disenfranchisement LawsProson Policy Initiative States of Incarceration: The Global Context 2024The Sentencing Project Locked Out 2024: Four Million Denied Voting Rights Due to a Felony Conviction

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