OSU study shows state unkind to women, despite their ballot box control

Friday, November 6, 2009

(Stillwater, OK  November 6, 2009) -- A new study shows a solid majority of Oklahoma voters are women, but that fact has not led to positive changes for women politically, socially or economically, according to Oklahoma State University Regents Professor Bob Darcy.

Students in Darcy’s class randomly sampled over 15,000 voters last summer to compare party registration, age distributions and voting rates and found that women made up a solid majority of the most politically involved citizens in Oklahoma, those affiliated with the two major political parties.

The statistically-viable sampling process confirmed that women accounted for an estimated 58 percent of the registered Democrats and 53 percent of the Republicans. Men, on the other hand, made up only one majority—those categorized as “less involved independents” at 53 percent. A recent example, about 153,000 more women cast ballots in Oklahoma in last November’s elections compared to men voters.

“I believe the students uncovered a paradox. We live in a state controlled by women voters with a reputation of being unfriendly to women,” said Darcy.

The study compares the students’ findings to several available statistics on women in Oklahoma, including figures that show Oklahoma has the second lowest proportion of women in its legislature (11.4 percent); it is ranked 42nd in appointing women to policy positions; it incarcerates its female population at a rate that is 143 percent higher than the national average; ranks 47th in overall women’s health; 41st in proportion of women living above the poverty level (85.6 percent); 49th in uninsured women of childbearing age (15-44) and 45th in uninsured children (under age 19). 

Based on the voting analysis and overall statistics, Darcy suggested the conclusions are limited. “Either Oklahoma women want things the way they are and use their voting and political power to ensure Oklahoma stays the way it is, or Oklahoma has not offered sufficient candidates that appeal to Oklahoma women and their interests,” he said.

OSU political science students Cordon DeKock, Charles England, Evan Hadaway, Kyle Kassen and Phyllis McLemore presented the study’s findings at a recent meeting of the Oklahoma Political Science Association at East Central University in Ada.