Voters will go to the polls Tuesday for the June 30 Primary Election, Okmulgee County Election Board Secretary Ashley Carnes said today.
Early voting will be available at the Okmulgee County Courthouse in the County Election Board office from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, June 25 and Friday, June 26. Early voting is also available from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 27. All voters in Okmulgee County are welcomed to vote early.
Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 30. Lines are possible at peak voting times but wait times will likely be shortest at mid-morning and mid-afternoon, Carnes said. "Anyone in line to vote at 7 p.m. will be allowed to cast a ballot."
"At all polling places, including the Okmulgee County Election Board Office during early voting, we will be doing our best to observe the CDC Covid-19 Guidelines. Our primary goal is voter safety. All precinct officials will be provided masks, gloves, and hand sanitizer, and we strongly encourage all voters to wear masks while inside the polling places. Election Officials will be working to keep all voters at least six feet apart at all times. Because of these restrictions, voters may experience longer than normal wait times at polling places and during early voting."
Voters who previously voted at the Baptist Village Center located at 1500 West 6th Street in Okmulgee will now be voting at the Okmulgee Community Center located at 1201 West 7th Street. All voters affected by this polling place change were notified by the mailing of a new Voter ID Card highlighting the change of polling location.
Anyone who needs to look up their polling place, verify their registration information, or view a sample ballot can do so online. The OK VOTER PORTAL can be accessed on the Oklahoma State Election Board’s website: www.elections.ok.gov. Those who vote by mail can also check the status of their ballot using the OK VOTER PORTAL. Sample ballots are also available at the Okmulgee County Election Board office.
Oklahoma law requires every voter who votes in person at the precinct polling place or during early voting at the County Election Board to show proof of identity before receiving a ballot.
There are three ways for voters to prove their identity under the law (only one proof of identification is required): Show a valid photo ID issued by federal, state, or tribal government; or show the free voter identification card issued to every voter by the County Election Board; or sign an affidavit and vote a provisional ballot. (If the information on the affidavit matches official voter registration records, the ballot will be counted after Election Day.)
Physically disabled voters who cannot enter the polling place, need help marking their ballots, blind or visually disabled voters and illiterate voters may be assisted by a person the voter chooses.
In all cases, a person providing such assistance may not be the voter’s employer or an agent of the employer or an officer or agent of the voter’s union. A person providing assistance also must swear or affirm that the voter’s ballots will be marked in accordance with the voter’s wishes. Alternatively, all blind, visually impaired, and physically disabled voters in Okmulgee County may use the audio-tactile interface (ATI), a feature offered on all Oklahoma voting devices, to vote privately and independently, either at Okmulgee County Election Board during early voting or at their assigned polling place on election day.
Voters who have moved since the last election, but who have not transferred their voter registration to their new address, may do so on Election Day by going to vote at the polling place where their registration has been in the past. While voting, they may fill out a form instructing the County Election Board to transfer their registration to the new address before the next election. Those who became physically incapacitated after 5 p.m. Tuesday February 25 still can request an emergency absentee ballot. Those who might qualify for an emergency absentee ballot should contact the County Election Board office at 918-756-2365 as soon as possible for more information. Any violation of election law will be reported to the proper law enforcement authorities.
Electioneering is not allowed within 300 feet of a ballot box. This includes shirts, hats, pins or any other items with a candidate’s name. It is also unlawful to remove a ballot from the polling location, possess intoxicating liquors within half a mile of a polling place or to disclose how you voted while within the election enclosure. For additional election-related information, visit: www.elections.ok.gov. or call the Okmulgee County Election Board 918-756-2365.