NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Date Jan. 29, 2016
CONTACT: State Election Board PIO Bryan Dean, (405) 522-6624 bdean@elections.ok.gov
Voter registration deadline for presidential primary approaches
Independents get first chance to vote in Democratic primary
(Oklahoma City) – Voters have until Friday Feb. 5 to register to vote, change their party or update other registration information before the March 1 Presidential Preferential Primary Election, Oklahoma State Election Board Secretary Paul Ziriax said today.
Voter registration forms, used to change any registration information, can be downloaded from the Oklahoma State Election Board’s website at http://elections.ok.gov. They are also available at county election boards, post offices, tag agencies, libraries and some other public locations.
Voters must either register in person or mail their registration forms in and have them postmarked before the deadline.
The election will mark the first time Independent voters get the chance to cast a ballot in a major party primary after Democrats authorized the move last year.
Oklahoma’s primary system is typically closed, meaning only those registered in the party can vote in the party’s elections. But the law allows recognized parties to notify the State Election Board during November of odd numbered years if they would like to let Independents vote in their primaries.
Democrats sent such a notification in November. That means Independents can vote in Democratic primaries and runoff primaries in 2016 and 2017. Independents cannot vote in Republican primaries.
Independent voters who want to vote a Democratic ballot will be able to request one at their polling location or by indicating they would like to receive Democratic ballots via mail when they make an absentee ballot request.
Voters can check their party affiliation, polling place and other registration information, view a sample ballot and track absentee ballots using the Online Voter Tool on the State Election Board’s website. It can be accessed at http://elections.ok.gov.
–30–
