Ada —  

As voters prepare to cast their ballots on Election Day, the Pontotoc County Election Board office is reminding people that they will need ID to vote.

Here are some reminders for Tuesday’s election:

1) Town hall closed: Due to unforeseen circumstances, the Stonewall Town Hall has been closed. The Stonewall Senior Citizens Center will be the polling place for Precinct 65 for the election.

The Senior Citizens Center is located at 110 E. Seventh St., just east of the town hall.

2) Registered voters who want to vote by mail absentee ballot in the general election have missed the application deadline, County Election Board Secretary Marilyn McDaniel said Thursday.

“They aren’t out of luck, however,” McDaniel said in a news release.

Voters who want to cast absentee ballots can do so between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. today or Monday at the County Election Board office. Voters can also vote between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturday.

A two-member, bipartisan Absentee Voting Board will be on duty each day to assist absentee voters.  

“In-person absentee voters fill out an application form when they get to the office. They are not required to give a reason for voting absentee,” McDaniel said. “They are required to swear that they have not voted a regular mail absentee ballot and that they will not vote at their polling places on Election Day.”

According to McDaniel, the Absentee Voting Board verifies a voter’s registration information, then issues the voter’s ballots. The voter marks the ballots in a voting booth and then puts them in the voting device.

“It is very much like voting at a precinct polling place,” said McDaniel.

Contact the County Election Board, located at 131 W. 13th St. in Ada, for more information.  The telephone number is 332-4534.

3) Voter ID: Voter identification is required because of the passage of State Question 746, which passed by a 74 percent margin in the 2010 general election. 

The law says, “Any item used for proof of identity for voting must have been issued by the federal government, the state of Oklahoma or a federally recognized tribal government.”  The proof of identity must show the name of the person to whom it was issued, the person’s photograph and an expiration date after the election date.

Voters may also use the voter identification card they received by mail when they registered to vote. Also, state identification cards issued to people who are 65 or older. They do not have expiration dates, but they are valid proof of identity for voting.

Here’s a sample list of acceptable identification:

• A current unexpired driver’s license with the same name as the name listed on the voter registration rolls.

• A state ID card issued to people who are 65 or older. They do not have expiration dates but are valid proof of identity for voting.

• A Certificate of Degree of Indian Blood card.

• A voter registration card with the same name as it appears in the precinct registry.

• A military ID card.

Anyone who is currently registered and needs a new voter registration card can contact the election board at 332-4534 for a new card.

It is too late to register to vote for the first time or to change an address to be eligible to vote in Tuesday’s election. However, anyone who is unsure of how they are listed on the voter registration rolls can call the election board or go to the state election board website at www.elections.ok.gov and check their registration information.

3) Polling place locator: People who don’t remember where they go to vote can find that information on the polling place locator on the State Election Board’s website. The locator is available at www.elections.ok.gov in the “Frequently Asked Questions” and “Voter Registration” sections.

Registered voters enter their last name, date of birth and zip code, and the locator produces a list of possible matches. Voters selects their names from the list and receive the name and address of their assigned polling place as well as a list of their congressional, state Senate, state House and county commissioner districts. 

If the locator is unable to match a voter’s information, the voter should call the local county election board office at 332-4534.

“The polling place locator is a great tool for Oklahoma voters who just need to verify their correct place to vote on election day,” McDaniel said. “Voters can access the polling place locator from any computer connected to the Internet at any time, including on Election Day when it may be difficult to reach their local county election board office by telephone.”