Oklahoma’s top election official is urging Oklahoma’s cities, counties, school board and others to postpone elections planned for April 7. 

Oklahoma State Election Board Secretary Paul Ziriax signed an election emergency declaration Wednesday that will give localities the option to postpone their upcoming elections.

Voters in almost every county in the state were set to vote on at least one race, mostly for school board seats, in less than three weeks. But Ziriax said rescheduling the elections will help protect public health and boost “efforts to flatten the COVID-19 curve.”

According to the election board, county election officials will reach out to the local governments with a scheduled April 7 election informing them of the options. 

Regularly scheduled elections would be postponed until June 30, when the state’s primary elections occur. 

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