Friday is the final day to register to vote in Oklahoma before the Nov. 8 general election. It’s also the last day to update registration, or change an address or party affiliation.
Voter registration forms are available at county election board offices, as well as libraries, tag agencies, and post offices. They can also be downloaded from the Election Board’s website. You can also check your party affiliation, polling place, and other registration information.
Earlier this week about 2,102,000 Oklahomans were registered to vote, which is about 12,000 short of the 2012 number. But Election Board spokesman Bryan Dean says he’s seen about 8,000 new registrations per week, and he expects a last-minute surge will help surpass totals from the 2012 election.
There's also been an uptick in the number of absentee ballots requested.
Am I Even Eligible To Vote?
If you’re a U.S. citizen, an Oklahoma resident, and 18 years old on Election Day, you can register to vote.
Convicted felons may not register for a period equal to the time of the original sentence. Pardoned felons may register. You’re also ineligible if you’ve been judged incapacitated by a court.
How Do I Know If I’m Registered?
You can confirm your voter registration online. You’ll need two pieces of information:
- First and last name.
- Date of birth.
You can also view a sample ballot, track your absentee ballot (if you requested one), and find your polling place for Election Day. If you plan to cast an in-person absentee (“Early”) ballot, you’ll do that at your county election board Thursday, Nov. 3 through Saturday, Nov. 5.
How Do I Register To Vote?
Your best bet is to download the voter registration application. You’ll have to mail it to the State Election Board, but as long as it’s postmarked by the end of Friday’s deadline, it will be accepted. You’ll have to provide your own postage, unless you’re filling it out at a tag agency while getting your driver’s license, or applying for assistance at a government agency. In those cases, they’ll mail it for you.
Even if you’re already registered, you’ll still have to fill out a new form if you want to change your name, address, or political affiliation.
What Will I Need To Register?
You’ll have to provide ten pieces of information when filling out the online form:
- Full name
- Date of birth
- Driver license or Social Security number (There is a box to check if you don’t have either)
- Political Party
- Street Address
- Mailing Address
- County of Residence
- Whether or not you’ve ever registered to vote
- Are you a U.S. citizen?
- Will you be 18 years of age on or before Election Day?
Then you’ll have to sign and date the oath.
What Kind Of ID Will I Need When I Do Go Vote?
In 2010, 74 percent of Oklahoma voters approved the voter ID law contained in State Question 746. It requires you to prove your identity by either showing a photo ID, a county election board voter ID card (which you should’ve gotten by mail when you registered).
Any document issued by the United States, the State of Oklahoma, or a federally recognized Native American tribal government is acceptable as long as it includes your name, a photograph, and has not expired.
If you don’t have a photo ID, you can sign an affidavit and cast a provisional ballot. It will be counted after Election Day once your county election board investigates and verifies the information provided on the affidavit.
If you’re voting absentee, you don’t need to enclose a copy of your photo ID, but the signatures will have to be notarized.
More Information
There’s a lot more helpful information and frequently asked questions on the Oklahoma State Election Board website. You can also call (405) 521-2391.
Information from the Associated Press and Oklahoma Watch was used in this report.
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