The tiny bell over the door at the Carter County Election Board office at 106 Hinkle St. in Ardmore has been ringing almost nonstop this week as residents stop by to fill out voter registration applications before Friday’s 5 p.m. deadline.
“We’ve been doing about 100 a day,” Election Board Secretary Helen McReynolds said.
But voter registrations aren’t the only thing on her mind these days. She’s also been up to her neck in requests for absentee ballots.
“I’ve already mailed out almost 600 actual ballots,” she said Tuesday afternoon.
Any registered voter may vote by absentee ballot, and it’s not necessary to give a reason for applying. In fact for many people, absentee voting is an easy and convenient way to exercise their right to vote. McReynolds urged voters who want to vote absentee to act now.
Applications for absentee ballots must be made in writing. Absentee ballot application forms are available at the county election board or may be downloaded and printed from the state election board’s Web site at www.elections.state.ok.us. Registered voters may also apply by mail if they include their name, birth date, address at which they are registered to vote, the elections for which they are requesting ballots, the address to which the ballots should be mailed and their signature.
The county election board will accept applications until 5 p.m. Oct. 29, but there are advantages to applying early. McReynolds said at least two mail transactions are required. The election board must first mail the ballot to the voter, and the voter must then return the marked ballot to the election board. All ballots must be in the hands of the election board by 7 p.m. on election day in order to be counted.
“We are getting 13 to 15 (marked ballots) back a day,” she said. “I put them unopened into a locked box that won’t be opened until election night.”
Voters who become incapacitated after 5 p.m. on the Tuesday preceding an election may receive an absentee ballot through special emergency procedures. This is a special form available that can be used for both the voter’s request and a doctor’s statement about the voter’s condition.
Additional information about absentee voting or other election issues is available by calling McReynold’s office at (580) 223-5290.
Steve Biehn, 221-6546
steve.biehn@ardmoreite.com
