Got questions about the upcoming Aug. 25 and Nov. 3 elections? We’ve got answers. 

The Tulsa Flyer collaborated with KOSU, The Frontier, The Oklahoma Eagle and Focus: Black Oklahoma to produce a comprehensive election guide for Oklahomans. Below you’ll find answers to your questions on everything from voter registration and absentee ballots to political advertising and identification requirements. 

How do I register to vote? 

Ginnie Graham, Tulsa Flyer

There are three options: online, mail and in-person. If you have a valid Oklahoma driver’s license or state-issued ID, the Online Voter Registration System is a possibility. You will answer a series of questions and upload a copy of your ID. 

To mail an application, forms can be obtained at any county Election Board, most tag agencies, libraries and post offices or downloaded from the State Election Board website. In Tulsa County, mail to the Election Board at 12000 E. Skelly Drive, Tulsa, OK 74128. It must be postmarked by 24 days before an election to vote in that election. Also applications can be hand-delivered to the address. In-person registration is also at that location. 

You can check your registration at the online OK Voter Portal. In Tulsa County, you can call the Election Board at 918-596-5780 for assistance. 

How do I fill out a ballot correctly? 

Anna Pope, KOSU

After getting your ballot and pen, make your way to an open voting booth to read over the form. 

The ballot instructions are at the top, showing the correct way to fill in the boxes. Blank boxes should be completely darkened next to the candidate or decision you choose. 

In Oklahoma, people can mark off each candidate and question, or they can vote straight-party. 

Straight-party voting is when you tick one box, indicating your votes go to candidates of the Libertarian, Republican or Democratic parties in partisan elections. Boxes for nonpartisan elections will still need to be marked.

Once filled out, take your ballot over to the voting machine to be scanned. 

If voting electronically, you can mark a ballot online. The filled-out ballot must be printed out and mailed or hand-delivered to the county election board. Ballots must reach the board no later than 7 p.m. election night. 

Where do I go to vote? 

Ginnie Graham, Tulsa Flyer

You must vote at the polling place assigned to you by the state Election Board. The polling place is listed on your voter ID card. If you’ve lost it, can’t remember or want to make sure it hasn’t changed, go to the OK Voter Portal. It will look up your polling place with an address and map. If your polling place changes, the county election board will send a new card with an updated location and address. 

Getting to the right precinct is important to get the right ballot. Be sure to check your voter ID card or check the online portal before you go. But a precinct worker can help you find the right precinct if you make a mistake. 

How can you tell who paid for an ad? 

Clifton Adcock and Brianna Bailey, The Frontier

All campaign advertisements are required to contain disclosures about who paid for an ad. But groups that buy political advertising often take steps to hide the identities of their funders. Super PACs are legally required to publicly report contributions, but they can also accept contributions from 501(c)(4) dark money groups that don’t have to disclose their donors. The U.S. Supreme

Court ruled in 2021 that these dark money do not have to publicly disclose their donors, making it hard for voters to find out who is actually buying ads.

Can I bring my kids to the polls?

Ginnie Graham, Tulsa Flyer

Yes. Children can be with their parents in the voting enclosure. It also serves as a good example of civic engagement for young people. 

Why are there limits on individual campaign contributions when dark money groups can spend unlimited amounts of money on advertising? 

Clifton Adcock and Brianna Bailey, The Frontier

After the Watergate scandal in the 1970s, Congress created the Federal Election Commission and placed limits on how much an individual could donate to a politician. In 1975, the U.S. Supreme Court took up the issue of campaign contribution limits in the Buckley v. Valeo case, and upheld direct contribution limits to candidates. But the court ruled that independent expenditures do not pose the same threat of buying political influence. In 2010, the Supreme Court issued its Citizens United v. FEC ruling, which struck down a law banning corporations from making independent political expenditures. The court held that limits on corporate spending in an election ran afoul of the First Amendment’s protection of speech, and that “independent expenditures do not give rise to corruption or the appearance of corruption.” In 2021, the Supreme Court ruled in Americans for Prosperity vs. Bonta that a California law requiring nonprofits to publicly report their donors in tax documents was unconstitutional, effectively killing most donor disclosure requirements for independent expenditure groups. 

What ID do I need to bring?

Ginnie Graham, Tulsa Flyer

Approved IDs must have been issued by the U.S. government, State of Oklahoma or a federally recognized tribe. It must include the person’s name, photograph and an expiration date that hits after the election (unless the ID is valid indefinitely). Also, the voter card issued when registered to vote is accepted even though it doesn’t have a photo. If using a driver’s license, it does not  have to be a Real ID. An Oklahoma medical marijuana card is among the accepted IDs.

How do I cast a provisional ballot?

Graycen Wheeler, KOSU

When you arrive at your polling place, officials will check your ID and look for your name in the precinct’s registry. If you do not have proper ID, if your name is not in the registry or if other questions arise about your voter registration, polling staff are required to provide a provisional ballot. 

Precinct officials will record your name, address, date of birth and — if you have them — your social security number and driver’s license number. You’ll be asked to sign an affidavit with this information.

Polling staff will then provide you with a provisional ballot. After you fill the ballot out, you’ll seal it in an envelope and it will be sent to the County Election Board.

If the board can verify your eligibility to vote, your ballot will be counted. You can track whether a provisional ballot was counted using the Oklahoma Voter Portal.

What if I can’t make it to the polls on Election Day?

Natalie Armour, KOSU

Any registered voter in the state can vote using an absentee ballot. Requests for an absentee ballot must be submitted before 5 p.m. on the third Monday, or 15 days before an election.

State law requires some voters to complete the Confirm Address for Absentee Ballot form, which must be submitted with their absentee ballot request.

In-person early voting will be available from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the Thursday and Friday before an election, and from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the Saturday immediately preceding certain elections, including primaries and generals. No special registration or excuse is required for early voting.

To apply for an absentee ballot and for more information, visit the OK Voter Portal. 

What elections can I vote in?

Thomas Pablo, KOSU

Oklahoma is a closed primary state, meaning residents can only vote in primary elections for candidates in their respective party. For example, a registered Republican can only vote for Republican primary candidates. 

What about independents? Primaries are not open to independent voters, as they can only vote in nonpartisan elections during the primary season. That includes state questions, like the one that legalized medical marijuana in 2018.

Party changes are currently frozen in the months leading up to an election, which means registered independents have to wait until they can vote in partisan primaries.

The November general election is a different story. Independents, Democrats and Republicans alike can vote for any candidate on the ballot, regardless of affiliation.