Oklahoma's Voter Registration Deadline Nears

Now’s the time to check your voter registration status and encourage your friends and family to do the same.

This Friday, Oct. 11 is Oklahoma’s voter registration deadline to participate in the Nov. 5 general election. Most residents with a valid state driver’s license can register to vote online. You can also mail an application or register in person at your local county election board office.

As a reminder, state law requires residents who have moved counties to submit a new voter registration application. If you’ve moved within the same county since the last time you voted, the OK Voter Portal should allow you to confirm your identity and change your address without canceling your registration.

You can also ask for a replacement voter identification card, view a sample ballot and request an absentee ballot before 5 p.m. on Oct. 21. Be sure to contact your county election board if you have additional questions or run into an issue.

Why doesn’t Oklahoma offer more time, you may ask? Dozens of states have a voter registration deadline one to two weeks before election day, and a handful provide same-day voter registration.

Oklahoma Watch reported on this topic ahead of the November 2020 election. The short answer is county election boards have a limited amount of money and manpower, and pushing the deadline back even a week would stretch officials thin without additional resources.

There have been a few legislative attempts over the past decade to expand voter registration opportunities but they didn’t gain much traction. In 2015, Oklahoma City mayor and former state senator David Holt introduced a bill that would have allowed prospective voters to register during the state’s early voting period. That measure died without receiving a committee hearing.

Have thoughts, questions or story ideas as we approach Nov. 5? Let me know at Kross@Oklahomawatch.org.

— Keaton Ross

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