Lawtonians Complain of Low Voter Turnout, but Still Don't Show Up

As the polls closed and our local media outlets grew the confidence to name Stan Booker a now three-term reelected mayor, the cries instantly started online about poor voter turnout in sleepy Southwest Oklahoma.

To be fair, in a town of - checks Wikipedia - 90,000 people, only 6,163 registered voters found the time to fill out a ballot on Tuesday.

While that sounds absurdly low, that's actually pretty on par with local elections across the state of Oklahoma. It was also a considerably higher turnout than the last mayoral election.

When Mayor Booker won his first reelection, the polls closed leaving the then-future in the hands of 4,217 local constituents. If you do the math, 2024s turnout is almost 50% higher than the last time around.

The semi-permanent CIP tax also passed, though it was a more narrow margin than expected. Let's just hope the roadwork that has been irritating drivers all over Lawton these last few weeks doesn't suddenly stop because the election is over. For the sake of all of us, it surely has to continue until Booker's 2018 new roads promise is finally fulfilled, right?

Lawton's Worst Roads As Voted By You

Roads have always been a hot topic in Lawton. The local government always promises to fix them when elections are at stake, but the improvements never come. It's more of the same crumbling roads and bandaid patches due to what the city describes as "too little funding," even though we continually vote for bonds to satisfy these issues.

Here are the worst commonly used roads in Lawton as voted by you.

Gallery Credit: Kelso

Best Outdoor Patios In Lawton

While they're wonderful to enjoy when the weather allows, the outdoor patio at Southwest Oklahoma restaurants is curiously rare. If and when you feel the need for a meal in nature, here are your choices.

Gallery Credit: Kelso

Closed Lawton Restaurants We All Wish Were Still Open

Do you ever get that bummer feeling when you're craving a meal that just isn't available anymore? Or better yet, not necessarily the food as much as the people and ambiance you grew up with? Hundreds of restaurants have come and gone in Lawton, Oklahoma, but here's a quick list of eateries we all wish were still around.

Gallery Credit: Kelso

Source: Lawtonians Complain of Low Voter Turnout, but Still Don’t Show Up to Vote

Categories: Politics