Early voting begins this Thursday for voters in Okarche’s upcoming special election.

The election will be to decide a proposition that would increase the number of seats on the town board from three members to five members.

Election day is Tuesday, Sept. 12.

Voters who will not be able to make it to the polls on election day have the option of voting early at MACenter Building at the Kingfisher County Fairgrounds.

Kingfisher County Election Board Secretary Shawna Butts said early voting is open to all voters.

“You do not need to provide an excuse to vote early. Oklahoma allows early voting for all elections conducted through the State Election Board – from school board and municipal elections to state and federal elections,” Butts said.

“This is a great option for those who will be out of town on election day or who want to avoid long lines.”

Early voting is available Thursday, Sept. 7, and Friday, Sept. 8, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Butts reminds voters that early voting is not available at polling locations. Election Day Voting

Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 12, for the election.

Butts offers these important tips to voters – especially those who will be casting a ballot for the first time.

Mark your ballot using the example posted at your polling place and inside your ballot booth. If you make a mistake, do not try to correct it.

Instead, take your ballot to the precinct officials. They will destroy the ballot and issue a new one.

You do not need to make a selection for each issue on the ballot in order for your ballot to be counted.

The voting device will cast votes only for those issues which you have marked.

Ballots can be read by the voting device regardless of how you insert the ballot into the system.

If the system detects too many markings for a single office or question, an error code will appear.

The voter can choose to submit the ballot as it is or request a new ballot.

If you need assistance or would like to use the audio- assisted ballot system, let a precinct official know.

You do not have to show proof of a disability to use the audio-assisted ballot system.

Be sure to bring an approved form of identifi cation. Federal and state issued photo IDs, passports, and tribal-issued, photo IDs are accepted. You may also use the voter identification card you were mailed when you registered.

If you forget your voter ID or your name is not found in the Precinct Registry, you may still cast a provisional ballot by signing an affidavit.

A provisional ballot is sealed in a special envelope and counted after Election Day, once the voter’s information has been verified by the County Election Board.

Election results cannot be certified until all provisional ballots have been researched, verified and counted.

Butts says election offi cials are there to assist voters and ensure all procedures are followed on election day.

“If you believe a law has been violated, contact precinct or county election officials immediately,” Butts said. “Do not wait until you leave the polling location.”

Voting activity is generally slowest during the mid-morning and mid-afternoon, but Butts said lines and wait times can vary from precinct to precinct.

All voters who want to cast a ballot should be in line no later than 7 p.m.

“Anyone who is in line by 7 p.m. on Tuesday and eligible to vote, will be allowed to vote,” Butts said.

You can locate your polling location using the State Election Board’s OK Voter Portal at oklahoma. gov/elections/ovp.

The Kingfisher County Election Board is located at 101 S Main St., Room 8 and is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

For questions, contact the Election Board at 405375-3895.