It’s already time to start looking ahead to elections set for the first three months of 2023.
For those experiencing lingering election fatigue from November, there is good news: Except for the March 7 special election to decide State Question 820, these are local and county-level races, so television and radio airwaves likely won’t be bombarded with political advertisements.
A look at upcoming races and relevant deadlines:
Tuesday, Jan. 10: Voters in 22 school districts and cities, including Norman, Shawnee and Ponca City, will decide on a series of propositions. The voter registration deadline for these races is Dec. 16. Click here to view the full list.
Tuesday, Feb. 14: Some voters will decide on municipal races and school board seats. Voter registration deadline: Jan. 20.
Tuesday, March 7: State Question 820 proposes legalizing recreational marijuana for adults 21 or older. Under the initiative, marijuana sales would be taxed at 15% the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority would be responsible for setting regulations. Voter registration deadline: Feb. 10.
Use the OK Voter Portal to verify your registration status and polling place.
Has an upcoming race caught your attention? Have an unrelated story tip or idea? Let me know at kross@Oklahomawatch.org.
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What I’m Reading This Week
With More Elections Around the Corner, Voter Fatigue Complicates 2023: The seemingly endless stream of campaigns and elections can take a toll on voters and candidates. [NonDoc]
Oklahoma Citizen-Led Initiative Would Codify Abortion Access: Hairstylist Roger Coody is pushing a ballot proposal to make abortion access a constitutional right in a state where Republican lawmakers have banned the procedure in nearly all circumstances. The Tulsa resident will have 90 days to gather 173,000 signatures from registered voters. [The Associated Press]
Former Legislative Assistant Sues State, Claims Wrongful Termination: Amari Kimbro, who served as an assistant to Rep. Andy Fugate and former Rep. Denise Brewer, claims leaders in the House of Representatives wrongly fired her after she attempted to calm a confrontation between Black Lives Matter protestors and Republican lawmakers. [The Oklahoman]
Judge: Oklahoma Turnpike Authority Violated Open Meeting Act, ACCESS Project Contracts Rendered Invalid: Cleveland County District Court Judge Timothy Olsen wrote in his decision that while the turnpike authority knew the specifics of the ACCESS project “in great detail,” January and February meeting agendas contained nothing that referenced the plan as required by the Oklahoma Open Meeting Act. The OTA will need to redo the approval votes with the proper agenda requirements. [StateImpact Oklahoma]
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