Months of raucus campaigning draw to a close this week as voters begin casting ballots in the much anticipated 2022 general election.

The so-called midterms – the name given the national and state elections occurring midway through a presidential term – draw considerable attention from both major parties.

What’s at stake is nothing less than the ability to determine the course the country takes over the last two years of the Biden Administration.

The Democrats, who currently hold a bare majority in the Senate and an eight-seat majority in the House, stand to lose their edge in both bodies.

All 535 seats in the U.S. House are slated to be voted on, along with 35 U.S. Senate seats and 36 state governorships.

Oklahoma voters will elect two of those Senators, including a special election to replace the state’s senior Senator Jim Inhofe, who offi cially retires after his replacement is sworn in next January.

State voters also face a decision in what has become a hotly contested race between Republican incumbent Gov. Kevin Stitt and his Democrat challenger Joy Hofmeister, current state school superintendent.

Kingfisher County voters will cast ballots in only one of the 535 U.S. House races, in which longtime Republican incumbent Frank Lucas is generally expected to retain his seat against his Democrat challenger Jeremiah A. Ross.

Early voting is available through 6 p.m. Friday and from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Kingfisher County Fairgrounds MACenter.

Any voter who has received a mail-in absentee ballot and missed the window to return it by mail may still return it in person to the Kingfisher County Election Board at the county courthouse during regular business hours Monday or Tuesday.

Those choosing to vote on election day may do so from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at their regular precinct polling places.

A complete list of races on the ballot follows:

Governor – Natalie Bruno, Libertarian; Kevin Stitt, Republican, incumbent; Joy Hofmeister, Democrat, currently state school superintendent, and Ervin Stone Yen, Independent.

Lieutenant governor – Chris Powell, Libertarian; Matt Pinnell, Republican, and Melinda L. Alizadeh- Fard, Democrat.

Attorney General – Lynda Steele, Libertarian, and Gentner F. Drummond, Republican.

State treasurer – Gregory J. Sadler, Libertarian; Todd Russ, Republican, and Charles De Coune, Democrat.

Superintendent of Public Instruction – Ryan Walters, Republican, and Jena Nelson, Democrat.

Labor commissioner – Will Daugherty, Libertarian; Leslie Kathryn Osborn, Republican, and Jack Henderson, Democrat.

Corporation commissioner – Kim David, Republican; Margaret Warigia Bowman, Democrat, and Don Underwood, Independent.

U.S. Senator – Kenneth D. Blevins, Libertarian; James Lankford, Republican, incumbent; Madison Horn, Democrat, and Michael L. Delaney, Independent.

U.S. Senator (unexpired term of Sen. Jim Inhofe) – Robert Murphy, Libertarian; Markwayne Mullin, Republican; Kendra Horn, Democrat, and Ray Woods, Independent.

U.S. Representative, District 3 – Frank D. Lucas, Republican, incumbent, and Jeremiah A. Ross, Democrat.

Additionally, several state judicial incumbents will appear on retention ballots. Voters of both parties may vote “yes” (for retention) on “no” (for removal) on these offices:

Supreme Court Justice, District 2 – Dustin P. Rowe.

Supreme Court Justice, District 5 – James R. Winchester.

Supreme Court Justice, District 6 – Dana Kuehn.

Supreme Court Justice, District 8 – Douglas L. Combs.

Court of Civil Appeals, District 1, Office 1 – Stacie L. Hixon.

Court of Civil Appeals – District 3, Office 1 – Gregory C. Blackwell

Court of Civil Appeals, District 3, Office 2 – John F. Fischer.

Court of Civil Appeals, District 4, Office 1 – Barbara G. Swinton.

Court of Civil Appeals, District 5, Office 1 – Thomas E. Prince.