Most of us at OSSM are close to turning 18, if we haven’t already. With this comes a large, but exciting, responsibility. Voting!
2018 is a big year for elections in Oklahoma, so keep reading to find out what dates you should mark on your calendar, as well as how to become a registered voter!
United States House of Representatives
Oklahoma will participate in one election for federal offices in 2018, but will go through two rounds of voting.
Primary elections are held statewide and determine a candidate for each party. As a voter, you will select a candidate from the district you reside in. General elections are nationwide and will determine who officially takes office.
Primary Election: June 28, 2018
General Election: November 6, 2018
Here's a helpful map so you can find your district!
Oklahoma Governor
Governor Mary Fallin will have served her maximum term limit next year, so Oklahoma will hold an election to fill her office.
Primary Election: June 26, 2018
General Election: November 6, 2018
Oklahoma Senate and House of Representatives
In the Senate, 24 of 48 seats will soon be open for newcomers. In the House of Representatives, all 101 seats will be open. As in national elections, primary and general elections are held and voters will choose candidates from their district.
Oklahoma House of Representatives Chamber
Primary Elections: June 26, 2018
General Elections: November 6, 2018
School Boards
Perhaps the most applicable election for students to participate in is that of school board members. 13 school districts will be holding elections for new school board members on February 14, 2017.
Districts: Broken Arrow, Edmond, Jenks, Lawton, Midwest City-Del, Moore, Norman, Mustang, Norman, OKC, Owasso, Putnam City, Tulsa, Union.
How to Vote
But the question remains: how do you register to vote?
For OSSM students, its very easy! The Oklahoma Capitol is a short drive away from campus and has a spot on the bottom floor for voter registration. You can also fill out the form found in the link below and mail it back to the State Election Board.
https://www.ok.gov/elections/documents/Oklahoma%20Voter%20Registration%20Application%20form%20v4-20%20SEB%20web.pdf
But wait! There's one important piece of information you need to know when filling out your application: Oklahoma has a closed primary system, meaning that if you choose to register as a party other than Republican or Democrat, you will not be able to vote in primary elections.
Now you're set to become a registered voter! After submitting an application, you'll be mailed a voter registration card and can say: