2 weeks Ago
At least some Oklahomans are eager to vote this year. Long lines snaked around Tulsa County's two early voting sites as in-person absentee voting — commonly known as early voting — began across Oklahoma. Near midday, waits of more than two hours were reported at the Tulsa County Election Board, 555 N.
Denver Ave., and its future location, 12000 E. Skelly Drive.
By 1 p.m., officials said almost 3,100 people had cast ballots at the two locations — a rate of about 600 per hour — and election officials had put in an order for portable toilets.
The cutoff time for people to get in line was a 6 p.m., and everyone in line by that time had voted by a little past 7 p.
m., a Tulsa County Election Board official said. The total for the day at both locations was 6,514 voters, according to the Election Board.
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Edwin Thorpe, a University of Tulsa student voting for the first time, said he was concerned that "a lot of people might be out" on Tuesday and that he might be working. Jamie Smith of Tulsa said she didn't want to risk the unexpected. "I have strong preferences," she said.
"I didn't want to be stuck if I got sick or had something come up at work." Jan Bruce and her son Patrick Bruce voted Wednesday because she's scheduled for surgery on Thursday. "I didn't want to vote by mail," she said.
Kathleen Costello of Tulsa also didn't want to take any chances. She was voting, she said, "to enhance the safety" of her family and "figured I ought to vote early." Costello said she was "concerned about what might happen after the election.
" Security in an era of political threats and violence has been a concern of many Americans, but on Wednesday, lines seemed to move smoothly. Whether this year's early voting totals will surpass 2020's statewide record of 167,185 or Tulsa County's 2016 high mark of 17,698 remains to be seen. One difference this year, though, is an extra day of early voting.
Until 2020, early voting in presidential elections was limited to three days. Two years ago a fourth day was added for general elections. Another difference from 2020 is that far fewer mail-in absentee ballots were requested this year.
Four years, ago Tulsa County sent out more than 70,000 mail ballots and processed more than 60,000. This year fewer than 25,000 were requested, and as of noon Wednesday fewer than 15,000 had been returned. Unlike many states, Oklahoma still records by far its highest ballot numbers in person on Election Day.
Even in 2020, more than 70% of presidential votes were cast at precincts. In 2022, it was 82.5%.
Early voting is available at county election boards and in some counties at satellite locations from 8 a.m. to 6 p.
m. Thursday and Friday and from 8 a.m.
to 2 p.m. Saturday.
Those wishing to vote early must complete an absentee ballot application before arriving or on site. The Tulsa World is where your story lives.
