VOTER REGISTRATION

Registration Deadline: The voter registration deadline is 25 days prior to the date of an election. A calendar of voter registration deadlines for 2023 can be found here. 

Party Affiliation: Oklahoma has a modified closed primary system. In order to vote in a party’s primary or runoff primary, you must be a registered voter of that party. However, the law allows recognized parties the opportunity to open its primaries and runoff primaries to Independents every two years by notifying the Secretary of the State Election Board. For the 2022-2023 election years, the Democratic Party will allow Independent voters to participate in its primaries and runoff primaries. Republican and Libertarian primaries and runoff primaries will remain closed.

Voters can change their party affiliation online using the OK Voter Portal or by completing a new Voter Registration Application and mailing it to their County Election Board. Voters can fill out an application using the OK Voter Portal registration “wizard,” but must print, sign, and mail or hand-deliver the application to their County Election Board to complete the process. Voter Registration Applications can also be downloaded from the State Election Board website and are available at County Election Boards, most tag agencies, post offices, and libraries.

You may not change your political affiliation during the period from April 1 through August 31, inclusive, in any even-numbered year. The last day on which you may change your political affiliation before the closed period is March 31; the first day on which you may change your political affiliation after the closed period is September 1.

VOTER REGISTRATION QUALIFICATIONS

Age: Must be at least 18 years old. Persons who are at least 17½ years old may pre-register to vote in Oklahoma if they meet all eligibility requirements.

Citizenship: Must be a United States citizen

Residency: Must be a resident of Oklahoma

Mental Competency: Persons judged incapacitated by a court may not register to vote

Felony Convictions: A person convicted of a felony may register to vote when he or she has fully served his or her sentence of court-mandated calendar days, including any term of incarceration, parole or supervision, or completed a period of probation ordered by any court. A convicted felon who has been pardoned may register.

OBTAINING A VOTER REGISTRATION FORM

By mail: Click here for the portal. Print it, sign it, and mail it to your county election board. You will get a confirmation number that can be used by your county election board to check the status of your registration.

In person: Voter registration applications are available at your County Election Board, post offices, tag agencies, libraries and many other public locations. You will be offered a voter registration application when you get your driver's license and when you apply for assistance at some government agencies. You may also download an application form.

You must sign and date the oath printed on the form. When you sign the voter registration application form, you swear that you are eligible to register to vote.

SUBMITTING A VOTER REGISTRATION FORM

You may mail your voter registration application to the State Election Board. The card is already addressed, but you must add a first-class postage stamp. If you fill out your voter registration application form at a tag agency when you get your driver's license or when you apply for assistance at a government agency, the agency will mail the form to the State Election Board for you.

For more information on voter registration, click here.

VERIFYING YOUR VOTER REGISTRATION STATUS

Online: Oklahoma online voter tool

ABSENTEE BALLOT QUALIFICATIONS

Who can vote absentee: Any registered voter in Oklahoma may vote by absentee ballot. It is not necessary to give a reason for voting absentee.

OBTAINING AN ABSENTEE BALLOT

In most cases, absentee ballot requests must be received no later than 5pm on the third Monday (15 days) preceding the election. Except as allowed by law, only the voter may submit his or her own absentee ballot request.

Online: Online Absentee Ballot Application

In person: Available from the county board of elections and from the State Election Board.

By mail: Download and mail your absentee ballot application to your local County Board of Elections or write a letter to your county election board to apply for absentee ballots. The letter must contain the following information.

   -your name

   -your birth date

   -the address at which you are registered to vote

   -the election or elections for which you are requesting ballots

   -the address to which the ballots should be mailed

   -your signature

In person: You may deliver your own application personally to the county election board office. 

By fax: You may fax your absentee ballot application to your local County Board of Elections.

By email: You may scan your signed application and email it to your County Election Board. 

Military and overseas voting: For more information on military and overseas voters, click here.

SUBMITTING AN ABSENTEE BALLOT

Different types of absentee ballots may have different submission requirements. Click here for instructions regarding physically incapacitated voters (and caregivers), nursing home or veterans’ center voters, military or overseas voters, emergency incapacitated voters, and first responders/emergency workers. The instructions for standard absentee voters are as follows:

Standard Absentee Ballot affidavits must be notarized, regardless of whether they are hand-delivered or mailed to the County Election Board. Standard absentee voters must return their own absentee ballot to county election officials. It is against the law to return another voter's standard absentee ballot.

Hand delivery (standard absentee ballot): Hand-delivered ballots must be returned no later than the end of business hours on the day before the election, and the voter must show the same proof of identity required for in-person voting.

By mail (standard absentee ballot): Absentee ballots returned by mail or private delivery service must be received by the County Election Board by 7 p.m. (CST) on Election Day to be counted. First class postage is required for U.S. mail. Consider the distance your absentee ballot must travel and allow sufficient time for your absentee ballot to be received by the County Election Board. The U.S. Postal Service recommends mailing absentee ballots at least one week prior to the due date.

Tracking your absentee ballot: You can track your absentee ballot using the OK Voter Portal. Once your ballot has been received, the portal will indicate the date of receipt. Once voter history has been entered into the system after the election, the portal will indicate whether or not your ballot was counted.

VOTING ON ELECTION DAY

On regular and special election days, polling places are open from 7am until 7pm.

State law requires all registered voters to prove their identity before voting in person at the precinct polling place on election day or during early voting at the County Election Board. You may show any document issued by the United States, the State of Oklahoma, or a federally recognized tribal government if it includes your name, a photograph of you, and an expiration date that is later than the election in which you are voting. For more information, click here.

PROVISIONAL VOTING

If you do not have or if you refuse to show proof of identity, you may vote by provisional ballot and prove your identity by submitting a sworn affidavit with the provisional ballot. Provisional ballots are sealed inside special envelopes and are not put through the voting device. After election day, County Election Board officials will investigate the information provided by the voter on the affidavit and either will approve the provisional ballot for counting or will reject it based on the outcome of that investigation. In order for a provisional ballot to be approved for counting, the information on the affidavit must match the information in the voter's registration record.

See full list for approval criteria here.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Deciding how to vote: https://votesmart.org

Polling Place: Polling place locator

Verifying Absentee Ballot Status: Click here

Problems with voting: Oklahoma's HAVA information