Oklahomans will head to the polls on Tuesday to choose their party’s candidate for President, while voters in some counties will consider alcohol law changes, sales tax extensions and more.
Polls for the special election open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. To find your polling place and view a sample ballot, visit Oklahoma’s voter portal.
Super Tuesday Presidential Primaries
Oklahoma is one of fifteen states where voters will cast their primary ballots to select a party candidate for President. They can choose among Republicans, Democrats and, for the first time ever, Libertarians.
There’s little drama in the primaries this year, with incumbent Democrat Joe Biden and former Republican President Donald Trump expected to take their parties’ nominations. The pair have won every state in the contest thus far, though Nikki Haley did take the District of Columbia from Trump over the weekend.
Trump has performed historically well in Oklahoma. He won all 77 counties in both the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections.
Independents and Democrats can both cast their ballots in the open Democratic primary. The Republican primary is closed, so only party members can vote in the GOP contest.
Libertarian candidates for President will appear on the Oklahoma ballot for the first time in their party’s history. Registered Libertarian voters will have the option of picking between Chase Oliver of Georgia – who has made unsuccessful congressional runs in his state – and Jacob Hornberger of Texas – who was a Libertarian presidential candidate in 2020.
Canadian County alcohol law change
Voters in Canadian County are set to decide on updating liquor laws in the county. Currently, the county prohibits alcohol sales by the drink between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Sundays.
If approved, "sales of alcoholic beverages by the individual drink for on-premises consumption" could begin at 8 a.m. on Sundays.
The Sunday restriction dates back nearly 40 years to 1985 when Canadian County voters approved it.
The Yukon Progress reports businesses in the county want to see the prohibition removed, as they lose business to surrounding counties during Sunday brunches and NFL football watch parties.
Sales tax extension in Logan County
Logan County voters will have three propositions on their ballot, on whether to extend a county sales tax for another 15 years. The current tax was passed in 2014 for a period of 10 years and sunsets at the end of this year.
The three-quarter of a cent sales tax funds county roads and bridges, county jail operations and every fire department in the county. Each entity receives funds from one-quarter of the three-quarter of a cent sales tax.
The sales tax generated nearly $4 million last fiscal year, results in a three-way even split at about $1.3 million. The 13 fire departments in Logan County divided their $1.3 million evenly at just over $102,000 each, while the three road districts did the same to the tune of $444,000 each.
County officials say passage of the bonds will not result in increased taxes, but will rather keep taxes the same. If the propositions don't pass this go-around, officials saythey will put it back up for a vote in November.
Wagoner County sales and lodging taxes
Voters in Wagoner County will see a whopping eight bond proposals on their ballot.
Propositions 1 through 7 would add a total of a half a penny to the county sales tax, increasing it from 1.3% to 1.8%. The funds would pay for road and bridge improvements, county courthouse and jail improvements, a new ambulance service and more.
The eighth proposal concerns the establishment of a 5% hotel or lodging tax, which would be charged to anyone who rents a hotel, motel or Airbnb. It does not apply to campgrounds. Funds from the new tax would go toward tourism initiatives, include construction and maintenance of public spaces and trails throughout the county.
More information on the proposals can be found here and here.
Norman franchise agreement
In Norman, voters will decide to approve or reject a franchise agreement with utility provider OG&E for the next 25 years. They voted down a similar agreement in 2023 to renew the agreement that had expired in 2018.
The agreement gives the utility company access to right of way property in the city. However, utility workers have maintained access since 2018 in large part due to a city attorney’s opinion that says the company can continue operations as long as their contract isn’t explicitly voided by Norman officials.
The company has also paid a 3% franchise fee to city coffers from Norman residents’ utility bills.
The agreement has support from Norman Mayor Larry Heikkila, who wrote in a letterthat Norman “has franchise agreements with Oklahoma Natural Gas, and other utilities and service providers. It is not a new idea; Norman has been renewing this agreement since the early 1900s.”
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Voters can learn more about this election by visiting their local election board or by seeing a sample ballot on their voter portal via the State Election Board website.
This report was produced by the Oklahoma Public Media Exchange, a collaboration of public media organizations. Help support collaborative journalism by donating at the link at the top of this webpage.
