Polls open Tuesday morning for Oklahoma’s statewide primary election. Every Republican and independent voter in the state has a contest to decide, along with most registered Democrats.
“Independents have the choice to vote in either the Democratic primary or the Libertarian primary, because those parties opened their primaries to independents,” State Election Board Secretary Paul Ziriax said.
OK Primary: Voters w/disabilities can vote privately/independently using the eScan's ATI audio ballot feature. Available at every precinct!
— Oklahoma State Election Board (@OKelections) June 27, 2016
Do I Even Need To Vote?
That depends, but probably. For example, a registered Democrat living in Woodward (and the Third Congressional District) has no U.S House or Senate primary to vote in, and his or her state House and Senate seats might not be in play. But there are also local and municipal elections.
The Oklahoma State Election Board’s Online Voter Tool allows voters to confirm registration, find their polling place, and view a sample ballot, although registered independents (no party affiliation) don’t have sample ballots.
What Do I Need To Bring?
State law requires voters to prove his or her identify before they can receive a ballot, and Ziriax says there are three ways to do that.
“You can show a photo identification issued by a federal, state, or tribal government,” Ziriax said. “You can use your free county election board voter ID card, or you can sign an affidavit and vote a provisional ballot. And if your affidavit matches your voter registration your ballot will be counted on Friday.”
Will There Be Lines?
Perhaps. Polls open at 7 a.m. and are open until 7 p.m., and Ziriax says the busiest times will likely be before and after work, as well as during lunch.
“Be prepared to spend a little bit of time in line. This is a big statewide election," Ziriax said. "It will vary from precinct to precinct, but make sure going in you know what’s on your ballot, that you’re prepared to vote, and be prepared in case there are lots of people showing up to vote.”
So What’s At Stake?
Libertarian candidates Dax Ewbank and Robert Murphy are vying to represent their party this fall against incumbent U.S. Sen. James Lankford. The winner of that contest will also face Democrat Mike Workman and independents Sean Braddy and Mark Beard this fall.
U.S. Rep. Jim Bridenstine faces Republican challenges from Evelyn Rogers and Tom Atkinson in his northeast Oklahoma district. Paul Schiefelbein and Joshua Harris-Till are squaring off for the Democratic nominee for Oklahoma’s Second Congressional District. Republican U.S. Rep. Markwayne Mullin faces a primary challenge from Jarrin Jackson.
In the Third Congressional District, longtime Congressman Frank Lucas and Desiree Brown are squaring off for the Republican nod. U.S. Rep. Tom Cole is seeking to keep his seat against Republicans James Taylor and Sean Roberts, while Bert Smith and Christina Owen are squaring off for the Democratic nomination.
Freshman U.S. Rep. Steve Russell is facing a primary challenge from Harrah resident Frank Volpe, and Democrats Tom Guild, Al McAffrey, and Leona Leonard are seeking their party’s nomination.
Odd-numbered state Senate seats are in play, and no candidate is running uncontested, although several districts don’t have primary contests because only one candidate from a party filed. Some of those legislative seats could be decided today because no candidate from an opposing party filed.
There are just under two dozen state House candidates who are running unopposed. You can find much more coverage of the candidates and some of the issues concerning voters in the "Related Content" section below.
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