ok.gov Frequently Asked Questions : Oklahoma State Election Board

Organization : Oklahoma State Election Board
Facility : Frequently Asked Questions
State : Oklahoma
Country : United States

Download Request to Cancel Voter Registration Form : http://www.ok.gov/elections/faqs.html
Home Page : http://www.ok.gov/elections/index.html

Frequently Asked Questions :
Absentee Voting :
1. I am registered to vote in Shawnee, but I work in Oklahoma City. Can I vote in Oklahoma City?
No. State law requires that you register to vote according to your address of residence. You may vote only at the polling place to which you are assigned based on the address where you are registered. (But you can request an absentee ballot or vote early. See above.)

2. I am registered to vote in Tulsa, but I am in college in Norman. Can I vote in Norman?
You can request to have an absentee ballot mailed to you in Norman (see above) or you may choose to register to vote in Norman. If you register in Norman, your registration in Tulsa will be canceled.

Address Confirmation :
I have received a State of Oklahoma Voter Address Confirmation card in the mail. Is it really from the State Election Board?
Address confirmation forms are sent to some registered voters to help us verify and update voter registration records. Federal and state laws require us to send these cards every two years. This document is an example of what the forms look like.

2. Why does the Return Card have a different P. O. Box address than the one listed on the State Election Board website?
The State Election Board has a special P. O. Box to receive the Address Confirmation Notice Return Cards.

3. Can I return the card to my County Election Board in person?
Yes.

4. Can the card be returned inside an envelope?
Yes. However, the return card is designed to be folded and sealed with tape so that all personal information is inside.

5. Can you just take the information by telephone or by e-mail?
No. The law requires the voter to return the card by regular mail or deliver it in person to the voter’s County Election Board office.

6. Why did I get this notice?
Federal and state laws require us to confirm voters’ addresses periodically.

7. Will every voter in the state get a notice?
No. Only some voters will receive a notice. Some family members may receive a card while others may not. Those who do not receive a card are not in danger of being removed from the voter registration rolls.

8. Which voters will get a notice?
Voters who fall into one of five categories will receive a notice.
The categories are :
** Voter has not voted since before the 2012 General Election.
** Voter has the same last name, first initial, and birth date as another voter in the state.
** First-class mailing sent to voter since January 1, 2013, was returned by the post office as undeliverable.
** Voter surrendered Oklahoma driver license in another state.
** Voter may have registered to vote in another state.

9. The addressee is deceased. Should the card be returned?
No. The card should be thrown away. If you are a member of the deceased voter’s family, you may submit a form to the County Election Board to cancel the voter’s registration. This form either must be notarized or witnessed by two people who include their names and addresses on the form.

10. The addressee is now in a nursing home. Should the card be returned?
If the voter wants to remain registered, the voter’s spouse or child should take the confirmation card to the nursing home, have the voter sign it, and then mail it. If the voter does not want to remain registered, the card should be thrown away. The voter’s registration will be canceled following the 2018 General Election. (The voter may submit a notarized cancellation request in order to be canceled sooner.) There is no provision in state law to allow a voter’s next-of-kin to cancel voter registration if the voter is still living.

11. I still live at the same address, but my name has changed. Can I use this card to change my name?
Yes. If you have not already submitted a new voter registration application to change your name, the return card can be used for this purpose. Complete the card, indicating your new last name. In the margin just above the name, write “name has changed due to marriage/divorce.” Your registration record will be updated to indicate your new name, and you will receive a new voter identification card.

12. I have moved within the county and my name has changed. Can I use the card to change both my name and address?
Yes. If you have not already submitted a new voter registration application to change your name and address within the county, you can use the return card for this purpose. Complete the card, indicating your new last name. In the margin just above the name, write “name has changed due to marriage/divorce.” List the new address. Your record will be updated to indicate your new name and address, and you will receive a new voter identification card.

13. The voter is no longer at this location. What should be done?
If you know the voter’s new address, write “Moved to: (address)” and return the card. If you do not know the voter’s new address, throw the card away.

14. The voter is away from home (i.e., military voter stationed overseas; voter who works away from home) and will not be home within 60 days. What should be done with the notice?
If you are the spouse or parent of the voter, you may choose to do any of the following:
** Put the notice in an envelope, affix postage, and mail it to the voter.
** Save the confirmation notice until the voter returns home. The voter’s registration will become inactive if the notice is not returned within 60 days; however, if the card is returned after the 60-day deadline but before cancellation in 2018, the voter’s registration will be reactivated.
** Throw the card away. The voter will become inactive but will be reactivated if he or she votes in any election up to and including the 2018 General Election.

15. What happens if I do not return the notice to the Election Board?
By law, a voter’s registration will become inactive if the notice is not returned within 60 days. The law requires the Election Board to cancel the voter registration of an inactive voter who (1) does not initiate a voter registration change or (2) does not vote in an election conducted by a county election board by the date of the second General Election for federal office following the date of the confirmation mailing. (For a voter who does not respond to the address confirmation notice in 2015, the voter’s registration is required by law to be canceled following the 2018 General Election unless the voter reactivates the voter registration by voting or by initiating a voter registration change.)

Early Voting :
1. Can I vote early?
Yes! You can vote at the County Election Board office in the county where you are registered to vote from 8 AM to 6 PM on Thursday and Friday before all elections. For state and federal elections only, you also can vote from 9 AM until 2 PM on Saturday before the election

Military and Overseas Voting :
1. Where can I find information about voter registration and absentee voting for military and overseas voters?
Military voters should contact the Voting Assistance Officers in their units for application forms and information. Overseas voters may obtain the same materials at United States military installations, embassies and consulates, or online from the Federal Voting Assistance Program. (You will be redirected to an external site.) Military and overseas voters who need to contact their County Election Board in Oklahoma can find e-mail addresses here.

2. I am a uniformed services voter. How can I find out whether the County Election Board received my absentee ballot?
An absentee voter who is in the uniformed services or who is a civilian living or working overseas may contact the appropriate County Election Board by e-mail for confirmation that the voter’s absentee ballot has been received by that election board. Get County Election Board e-mail addresses here.