OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Voters in all but 1 of Oklahoma's 77 counties approved a constitutional amendment that wipes out affirmative action in state government hiring, education and contracting practices.
Complete but unofficial returns from Tuesday show that Adair County in eastern Oklahoma was the only county to oppose the measure. And the amendment narrowly failed in Adair County, where the measure lost by just 53 votes.
The remainder of the state overwhelmingly backed the ban, with the most enthusiastic support coming from Canadian, Kingfisher and Major counties.
The GOP-controlled Legislature voted in 2011 to send the proposal to a vote of the people. It did so over the objection of Democrats who maintained it was designed only to stoke racial tensions and drive conservative voters to the polls.
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