It’s hard to believe that the next presidential election is less than a month away, and November 3rd will be here before we know it. The deadline to register to vote in this election has passed, but there’s still time to request your absentee ballot if you’d like to vote by mail.

Voting absentee is an option available to all registered voters, and a route many are choosing to take with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The deadline to request an absentee ballot is Oct. 27 at 5 p.m., and you can do so at ok.gov/ elections. You must include a valid copy of a government issued ID with your ballot, and due to the pandemic, a notary is not required for your ballot for this election. Absentee ballots must be received by your county election board before 7 p.m. on Election Day, so if you plan to vote absentee, please give our mail system plenty of time to process your ballot and deliver it by Nov. 3. If you’d like, you can track your absentee ballot to ensure it arrives on time by visiting ok.gov/elections. You can also view a sample ballot to prepare for what you’ll be voting for as well.

If you’d like to avoid the polls on Election Day but still vote in person, you can do so by voting early at your county election board on Oct. 29 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Oct. 30 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Oct. 31 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. As always, the polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3 for Election Day. If you are in line by 7 p.m., you will be able to cast your vote.

I’d also like to take a moment to thank our poll workers and county election board secretaries across the state. This is no easy job, but each worker selflessly volunteers their time for the day to make sure every Oklahoman can make their voice heard. County precincts are typically always looking for poll workers for Election Day, so if this is something you’re interested in, please consider becoming a volunteer. These are paid positions and you must be registered to vote in the county you will serve in to qualify. For more information, please reach out to your County Election Board.

Oklahoma’s election system is one of the most secure in the country, so please feel confident that your vote will be counted regardless if you vote absentee, early or in-person on Election Day.

Finally, I’d like to talk about the census one more time. Although previously I’d stated the deadline to respond to the 2020 Census was Sept. 30, that deadline has been extended until Oct. 31. If you’ve already completed the questionnaire – thank you. If you haven’t, I can’t stress the importance of this population count enough. Billions of dollars in federal funding for our cities and state are determined by the results of the census, so we must get a full count. If you haven’t responded, please do so as soon as possible by visiting 2020census.gov or calling 844-330-2020. I’d also like to recognize the census workers from across District 26 that have worked diligently over the past few months to visit households that haven’t responded and ensure they are counted. Your hard work does not go unnoticed, and I’m very thankful for your service.

Thank you for allowing me to be your voice at the state Capitol. I welcome your comments and concerns, and if there is anything I can do to help you, please reach out. You can contact me by email at Darcy.Jech@oksenate.gov or by phone at 405-521-5545.