June 5, 2018
By Paragon News Director Paul Joseph –
Election time is fast approaching and will impact Western Oklahoma in several ways.
There’s a filing period next week, a huge primary in three weeks and voters need to apply soon for absentee ballots.
Voters need to remember a number of important dates as the 2018 election season gets underway.
In Custer County, the filing period opens Monday, June 11 at 8 am for a number of seats in Clinton and Weatherford. County Election Board Secretary Ann Brown says candidate filing forms are available online and in her office in Clinton on North 6th Street for the City of Clinton’s council positions for Wards 2 and 4 and for Mayor.
And, in Weatherford, the position of Mayor will be filled this year.
Brown says the filing position closes at 5 pm on Wednesday, June 13 and the two cities Primary election will be held on August 28 and, if needed, a General Election on November 6.
In addition, all Oklahoma voters will be going to the polls in three weeks for the June 26 Primary Election, according to Washita County Election Board Secretary Leah Jones who says early voting will be available at each county election board office from 8 am to 6 pm on Thursday and Friday just prior to the election on Tuesday, June 26. And then on that date, polls will be open, as usual, from 7 am to 7 pm. Jones says lines are possible at peak voting times due to the importance of this Primary Election and that wait times will likely be shortest at mid-morning and mid-afternoon, however, anyone in line to vote at 7 pm will be allowed to cast a ballot.
Oklahoma voters who want to vote absentee need to request absentee ballots to be mailed to them for the June 26 Primary Election and should apply now, according to Beckham County Election Board Secretary Alex Joseph. The county election board can accept applications for absentee ballots until 5 pm on Wednesday, June 20 and Joseph urged voters who want to vote by absentee to apply now.
Jana Maddux, the Roger Mills County Election Board Secretary says absentee ballot application forms are available at any county election board office and an online version of the form can be filled out and submitted electronically through the Oklahoma State Election Board website at www.ok.gov/elections. Maddux says a print application form can also be downloaded at that address.
At least two mail transactions must be made. That’s why election officials are urging absentee voters apply now. the board must mail the ballots to the voter and the voter must return the voted ballots by mail.
Joseph says absentee ballots must be back in the hands of the voter’s county election board office by 7 pm on Election Day to be counted and he adds that it’s not necessary to give a reason for voting absentee.
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