Alva residents will head to the polls April 6 to elect new City Council members. Here’s some basic information about when to vote, where to vote and what you need to know when you head to the polls.
EARLY VOTING
Early voting is open Thursday and Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Early voting is conducted at the Woods County Election Board office in the county courthouse, 410 Fourth St., Suite C in Alva.
ELECTION DAY
Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday. Lines are possible at peak voting times.
Wait times will likely be shortest mid-morning and mid-afternoon. Anyone in line to vote at 7 p.m. will be allowed to cast a ballot.
CHECKING REGISTRATION
Those who need to look up their polling place or verify their registration can access the information on the Oklahoma State Election Board’s website: http://www.elections.ok.gov.
Those who vote by mail can also check the status of their ballots using the online voter tool.
Sample ballots are available at the county election board office and on the state website under the “voter tools” tab.
ID REQUIREMENTS
Oklahoma law requires every voter who votes in-person at the precinct polling place or during early voting at the county election board to show proof of identity before receiving a ballot.
There are three ways for voters to prove their identity under the law (only one form is required): a valid photo ID issued by a federal, state, or tribal government; the free voter identification card issued to every voter by the county election board; or a signed affidavit. (If the information on the affidavit matches official voter registration records, the ballot will be counted after Election Day.)
To obtain a new voter ID card, call 580-327-1452.
INFORMATION FOR DISABLED VOTERS
Polling places have accommodations for: physically disabled voters who cannot enter the polling place; those who need help marking their ballots; blind or visually disabled voters; and illiterate voters.
They may be assisted by a person the voter chooses.
In all cases, a person providing such assistance may not be the voter’s employer, an agent of the employer, or an officer or agent of the voter’s union.
A person providing assistance also must swear or affirm that the voter’s ballots will be marked in accordance with the voter’s wishes.
Alternatively, all blind, visually impaired and physically disabled voters in Woods County may use the audio-tactile interface.
This is a feature offered on all Oklahoma voting devices during early voting and during Election Day.
WHAT TO DO IF YOU HAVE MOVED
Voters who have moved since the last election, but who have not transferred their voter registration to their new address, may do so on Election Day by going to vote at the polling place where their registration has been in the past.
While voting, they may fill out a form instructing the county election board to transfer their registration to the new address before the next election.