Published: December 02, 2008 10:59 pm      

Bond election tips for making votes count; sample ballots

Tips for making votes count

Erin Dorio, secretary of the Logan County Election Board, offered voters these tips on how to make their votes count.

Dorio said that a valid marking — a filled-in arrow — is shown on posters at the polling place and inside the voting booths. If voters make mistakes marking their ballots, Dorio said they should not try to correct those errors. Instead, voters should return the spoiled ballot to the precinct officials, who will destroy it and issue a new ballot to the voter.

Dorio also urged voters to take their voter identification cards with them to the polls. “Your voter identification card can help precinct officials find your name in the Precinct Registry and it may also help them resolve the problem if you are not listed in the Precinct Registry.”

Voters whose names are not found in the Precinct Registry, or a voter who disagrees with the information shown in the Registry, may need to cast a provisional ballot. A provisional ballot is sealed in a special envelope and counted after election day if the voter’s information can be verified by the County Election Board.

Dorio said that voters who want to get through the line quickly should vote at mid-morning or mid-afternoon, because those usually are the two slowest periods for voting during the day.

“Anyone who is eligible and at the polling place at 7 p.m. on Tuesday will be entitled to vote,” she said.

Incapacitated voters don’t have to miss election

Registered voters in Logan County who become physically incapacitated after 5 p.m. Tuesday won’t have to miss the Dec. 9 Guthrie SD I-1 and Edmond SD I-12 Special School Election, Logan County Election Board Secretary Erin Dorio said.

Dorio said state law permits registered voters who will be unable to go to the polls because they became incapacitated after 5 p.m. Tuesday to vote on an emergency basis. “Physical incapacitation” includes a variety of conditions — injury, illness, childbirth — that prevent a person from voting in person at the polls on election day.

“If you think that you or someone you know fits into this category, contact the County Election Board office at 282-1900 as soon as possible for more information,” Dorio said.

Absentee ballots taken Friday, Monday

Registered voters who want to cast absentee ballots still can do so at the Oklahoma County Election Board or Logan County Election Board offices — depending on which county a voter lives in — from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Monday. 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 arrive at the office. They are not required to give a reason for voting absentee,” Oklahoma County Election Board Secretary Doug Sanderson 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.”

For more information, call the Logan County Election Board office at 224 E. Vilas. The telephone number is 282-1900. In Oklahoma County, questions may be directed to 713-1515.