IN a surprise victory last week, Democrats won a special election in a state House seat long held by Republicans. Shifting demographics may have played a role, but the vote result also owed much to a simple fact: On a nontraditional election day, Democratic voters turned out and Republican voters didn't.

That's no knock on Democrats, who did what it takes to win. But this election also highlights the continuing problem of voter apathy. In a district with 23,949 registered voters, only 4,908 cast a ballot — or roughly one in five.

House District 85, based in Oklahoma City, became vacant upon the death of incumbent Rep. David Dank, a Republican. The resulting special election involved a July primary and a Sept. 8 general election.

On July 14, a four-candidate Republican primary attracted 2,769 voters. But in last week's general election, only 2,268 votes were cast for the Republican nominee, Chip Carter. In most elections, turnout typically increases in the general election among Democrat and Republican voters.