TULSA, Okla. — It's National Voter Registration Day! Voting in national and local elections is an important part of living in the United States.
Due to the pandemic, how and where people can cast their vote has adjusted according to their lifestyle.
Who can vote?
Anyone can register to vote if you are a citizen of the United States, a resident of any of the 50 states, and at least 18 years old or meet the age requirement to pre-register.
To vote in Oklahoma, you must be a resident and registered to vote in the state.
Those who can't vote include people convicted of felonies or have been deemed incapacitated to not be able to vote.
Those convicted of a felony may still be eligible to vote, provided they have fully served their sentence of court-mandated calendar days, including any term of incarceration, parole, or supervision, or completed a period of probation as ordered by any court.
How can you register?
Are you living in Oklahoma but haven't registered to vote? No worries - the Oklahoma Board of Elections offers a simple question-and-answer process to get you registered in the state.
Anyone can either register to vote online by using the OK Voter Portal.
Voter registration applications are also available at your local County Election Board, post offices, tag agencies, libraries, and many other public locations. Oklahomans will be offered a voter registration application when they get their driver's license and when they apply for assistance at some government agencies.
How do I submit an application? Can I ever change it?
If you are registering for the first time, changing political parties, or due to a name or address change, voters will still need to print or pick up the application, sign the oath stating they swear they are eligible to vote, and mail it to their local County Election Board.
You will eventually get a confirmation number that you can use in the future to check the status of your registration.
Are you registered to vote but have a new address or want to change political parties? Here are the steps to take to update your voter registration.
I submitted my application and mailed it in. Can I now vote whenever I want?
Simple answer: no.
You do not become a registered voter until your local County Election Board has approved your application. Once your application is approved, the County Election Board will mail a voter identification card to the address you provided.
Your voter identification card lists:
- your name
- your address
- your political affiliation
- the polling place for your voting precinct
It's recommended when you first receive your voter identification card to look at it carefully to check for errors and then report them if you find them immediately. Then, keep it safe and always take it with you to vote.
If your application is not approved, you will be notified by your local County Election Board stating why your application was not approved.
Do I have to register at a certain time? When is it?
Anyone can register to vote at any time. However, if you want to vote in your next election, the deadline to register is 25 days prior to the date of an election.
If you happen to mail or hand-deliver your application under the 25 days deadline, then your application will be processed after that election is over.
For example, if the upcoming election is on Nov. 9, then the registration deadline is Oct. 15. If your voter registration application is mailed and postmarked on Oct. 15 and received by your county election board on Oct. 20, you will still be eligible to vote in the Nov. 9 election – provided you are otherwise eligible and your application is complete.
You will find upcoming registration Dates and Deadlines here.
How does Oklahoma do elections?
According to Oklahoma.gov, Oklahoma has a closed primary system in terms to voting.
This means only voters who are registered members of a recognized political party can vote in for their party's candidates in elections. The only exception is if registered Independent voters are eligible to vote if approved by their party.
Nonpartisan judicial offices, state questions, and other county questions often are included in primary elections across the state of Oklahoma. All registered voters, including Independents, are entitled to receive those ballots to cast their vote.
At general elections such as city, county, congressional, etc., all voters receive the same ballot and may vote for any candidate or question on the ballot.
READ MORE on registering in the state of Oklahoma
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