The June 16 primary election is coming, with early voting starting June 12. Along with our partners at The Frontier and KOSU, we’ve been asking our audience what questions they have — and finding answers for you. View the Flyer’s full voter guide here.
Do I have to register with a political party?
No. A person can register as an Independent. However, Oklahoma has closed primaries, meaning that Independents cannot vote in party primaries — though some are trying to change that.
In recent years, the Democratic Party allowed Independents to vote in its primaries but missed a deadline to continue that practice in this election cycle. Independents will not be able to vote in primaries through at least 2027. However, any registered voter can vote on statewide questions.
When and how do Oklahomans vote on judges?
District and associate district judges with more than two candidates will be on the ballot June 16. If none receive more than 50%, then the two top candidates will appear on the Nov. 3 ballot.
In Tulsa County, the only June judicial race on the ballot is for Office 4, which covers the northern part of the county. Candidates are former prosecutors Dustin Allen and Phillip Peak and special judge Loretta Radford.
Tulsa County Judicial Offices 1 and 12 will be on the Nov. 3 ballot. Both are at-large districts with all voters in Tulsa and Pawnee counties eligible to vote. Office 1 candidates are incumbent District Judge Caroline Wall with Creek County assistant district attorney Tom Sawyer as a challenger. Office 12 has incumbent District Judge Kevin Gray facing former prosecutor Christopher Camp.
Terms of six Oklahoma Supreme Court and Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals are up for a retention election Nov. 3. The justices are appointed to six-year terms by the governor from choices presented from a bipartisan commission. Voters are asked “yes” or “no” to retain those appointees after their terms. The four Supreme Court Justices up for retention are Chief Justice M. John Kane IV, Vice Chief Justice Dana Kuehn, Justice Richard Darby and Justice Travis Jett. The two judges from the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals on the retention ballot are Rob Hudson and Gary Lumpkin.
How do I know I’m in the right place to vote?
Your voter registration card lists your polling place with the address. If that changes, the county election board will send a new card with the updated location and address. Go to the OK Voter Portal to double check your polling place before Election Day.
Where can I find information about Oklahoma candidates?
Several nonpartisan and nonprofit organizations, including the Tulsa Flyer, provide voter guides to give voters information on the positions and backgrounds of candidates. Read it here.
What can I use as a voter ID? Is a medical marijuana card allowable?
A medical marijuna identification card is acceptable. The state law requires a document used for proof of identity be issued by the U.S. government, State of Oklahoma or a federally recognized tribe. The document must have the name and photo of the person and an expiration date after the election, unless the ID is valid indefinitely. The voter identification card issued by the county election board is also acceptable even though it does not have a photo. Other examples of acceptable ID are a state driver’s license (that does not have to be REAL ID); a U.S. passport; military ID; or tribal ID from a federally recognized tribe.
Do I have to vote on everything on a ballot?
No. A voter can leave races or issues blank. Oklahoma is one of six states with straight-party voting, which is when a voter fills in a mark at the top of the ballot to automatically choose all candidates of a specific party. If a voter chooses the straight-party option but then marks a choice for a candidate from another party in a specific race, then the choice in the individual race is counted.
Are politicians allowed to lie in commercials?
Yes. Paid political speech is protected by the First Amendment.
Why does my polling place change?
Polling places are determined by factors like staffing levels and locations made available to the county election board. In some cases, two precincts may be located within one building.
Can I put a P.O. Box address as my permanent address?
No. The election board must determine your precise voting district. When registering to vote, the election board needs your most recent place of residence — a physical street or rural route address.
What political parties are recognized in Oklahoma?
Republican, Democratic and Libertarian.
How can I track my absentee ballot?
You can track absentee ballots by accessing the OK Voter Portal here.
What resources are available if I can’t drive to my polling place?
Absentee voting is available for anyone unable to get to a polling place on Election Day. MetroLink in Tulsa also typically offers free rides to the polls with the use of a code, as they did for the April elections. Check their social media for updated information.
What if I turn 18 on Election Day or right before?
A teenager who will be 18 on Election Day can pre-register to vote when they reach 17.5. They cannot vote until they are 18 and the voter registration has been approved.
Are there things I need to bring? Are there things I’m not allowed to bring?
Bring a valid ID to show poll workers. Do not wear anything that advocates for a candidate or an issue, which is called electioneering. It is a crime to electioneer within 300 feet of an entrance to a polling place or a person who may be standing outside in a line waiting to vote at a polling place. Notes, including a marked sample ballot to assist in the voting process, are allowed inside a polling place. However, those notes should be kept out of public view until you’re at the voting booth and ready to mark your ballot.
What if I forget my ID?
Don’t leave the polling place. Ask a poll worker for a provisional ballot. Those ballots are counted after the election after the county election board confirms the voter identification.
How do I request an absentee ballot?
The deadline for requesting an absentee ballot is by 5 p.m. 15 days before an election, so that deadline has passed for the June election.
Voters can request ballots for a full calendar year by going to the OK Voter Portal at okvoterportal.okelections.gov. For military or overseas voters, the Federal Voting Assistance Program provides information. Voters in the U.S., applications for absentee ballots are on the OK Voter Portal. The forms can be completed, signed and returned by mail, fax or emailed as an attachment. Tulsa County voters can contact the election board at 918-596-5780 for questions about mailing or emailing the application.
When is the absentee ballot deadline?
Absentee ballots must be received by the county election board by 7 p.m. Election Day. Hand-delivered ballots must be received by 5 p.m. the Monday before an election. You can only deliver your own ballot. Another person cannot submit an absentee ballot.
What accessibility accommodations must polling places have? How can I make sure my polling place can accommodate my disability?
Polling places are compliant with Americans with Disabilities Act requirements. Other types of assistance are available for physical and visible disabilities. Details can be found online with the state election board, or voters can call the Tulsa County Election Board at 918-596-5780 for questions. Assistance is available for all elections for voters with physical disabilities unable to mark a ballot, voters with visual impairments, voters unable to enter a polling place and voters who cannot read. Oklahoma offers a voting device equipped with an audio tactile interface to help a voter cast a ballot privately and independently.
What’s on the ballot?
Ballots are different depending on where a voter lives. To find your sample ballot, go to the OK Voter Portal, which asks for your name and birth date. Be sure to use the name on your voter registration.
Can I post a picture of myself voting?
You can take a picture of yourself voting, but do not post to social media or share with anyone until outside the election enclosure. That is defined as where voters are being checked in and ballots are issued. It is a crime in Oklahoma to disclose how you voted while inside the election enclosure.
Who’s allowed to do early voting? Do I need a reason? Where do I go?
All registered voters are eligible for early voting. No reason is needed. In Tulsa County, early voting takes place at the county election board at 12000 E. Skelly Drive. Early voting runs from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday and Friday and from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Early voting is technically in-person absentee voting.
I was convicted of a felony a few years ago. Can I vote?
If a person has completed their term of incarceration, parole, supervision and probation or had a commutation, the right to vote is restored in Oklahoma and eligible to register to vote. Find more information about how it works through the League of Women Voters of Oklahoma.
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