Voter Registration Drive Q & A

A: Anyone – including candidates, members of political organizations, and businesses – can host a voter registration drive and distribute applications.        

A: No training is required; however, we strongly recommend that you read our Legal Responsibilities, Voter Registration Drive Q & A, and Hosting a Successful Voter Registration Drive webpages. We also recommend that you read the Oklahoma Voter Registration Application instructions.

If you have questions, please contact the State Election Board or your County Election Board. 

A: You may request permission to print, copy, prepare and distribute Voter Registration Applications from the Secretary of the State Election Board. Contact us at info@elections.ok.gov for a request form.

You will receive an email notifying you of whether or not your request has been approved. Please keep in mind that the Secretary reserves the right to revoke permission at any time. 

A: There is no charge for Voter Registration Applications; however, quantities may be limited. Please refer to Oklahoma Administrative Codes 230:15-3-24 and 230: 15-3-26 for specific information regarding quantities. If the State Election Board is unable to provide the total number of applications requested, the request may be partially fulfilled and the applicant will be granted permission to print additional applications from the State Election Board website. 

A: Please specify on your request form if you would like to pick up your applications from the State Election Board or your County Election Board. Once your request is approved, you will receive an email notifying you that your applications are ready to be picked up. While we typically provide a quick turnaround on application requests, we recommend you allow sufficient time for your request to be processed. If you are unable to allow sufficient time for processing, we recommend you submit a request to print applications or conduct an Electronic Voter Registration Drive. Please see our guide for Hosting an Electronic Voter Registration Drive.  

A: Serial requests from the same organization, entity, or individual made within a thirty-day period must be submitted in writing and the requestor must state that all previously received forms have been distributed. Voter registration drive hosts also have the option to request to print applications from the State Election Board website or host an Electronic Voter Registration Drive. 

A:  To register to vote in Oklahoma you must be:

• a U.S. citizen,
• a resident of Oklahoma, and
• at least 18 years of age or older or at least 17 ½ years of age (to pre-register.)*

Additionally:

• You may not have been convicted of a felony, or if you have been convicted, you must meet the qualifications of 26 O.S. § 4-101.
• You must not be under judgement as an incapacitated person or a partially incapacitated person prohibited from voting. (See 26 O.S. § 4-101.) 

*Applicants who pre-register may not vote until their application has been approved and they have turned 18 years of age.

A:  Anyone can help an applicant fill out their Voter Registration Application; however, if you assist an applicant, your name and address must be included on the application in the appropriate section.  

A: No. Applicants are not considered “registered” and are not able to vote until their application has been processed and approved by the appropriate County Election Board Secretary.

A:  Applicants will be mailed a Voter Identification Card by their County Election Board. If an application is not approved, a letter will be mailed to the applicant along with the reason(s) why the application could not be approved and, if applicable, information on how to resolve the issue.

A: Anyone – including candidates, members of political organizations, and businesses – may collect completed Voter Registration Applications. However, we recommend applications be mailed or hand delivered to the State Election Board or appropriate County Election Board immediately following a voter registration drive.

IMPORTANT: If you choose to collect applications, you are also making the choice to be responsible for the applicants’ personal information and ensuring that the applications are submitted to the Election Board in a timely manner. Please keep completed applications in a secure location until they are returned to the Election Board.

A: Yes. You may provide stamps and/or envelopes for applicants to mail their own applications.

A: No. It is against the law to provide anything of value in exchange for registering to vote – including grades. If you would like to offer something during your drive, you must make it available for everyone, not just those who complete a registration application. This includes entries or chances to win door prizes or other items.

A: Applications can be mailed individually or in a single envelope or box to the State Election Board or appropriate County Election Board.

IMPORTANT: Please keep in mind that if you mail applications in a single envelope or box, there will be no postmark on the individual applications; therefore, applications must be received 25 days prior to an election in order to be valid for that election.

A: While this is not prohibited by law, we highly recommended that you mail or hand deliver applications intended for several counties to the State Election Board to avoid a delay in processing or an applicant missing a voter registration deadline. Our staff will sort and distribute them to the appropriate county election boards.

A: Applications that are mailed or hand delivered in a single envelope/box/batch and are received after the deadline, will not be approved for the immediate election but, if otherwise valid, will be approved for subsequent elections. Applications that are mailed individually and postmarked on or before the voter registration deadline, but received after the deadline, will be considered to have met the voter registration deadline and will be processed according to state law.

A: Yes, if the applicant is otherwise eligible.