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Monday, October 21st at 5 p.m. marks the deadline for Oklahomans to request their absentee ballots for the 2024 November election. Registered voters can learn more about the process and apply for a ballot online through the State Election Board website.
Voting absentee allows Oklahomans to mail-in or hand-deliver their completed ballot without having to go to their polling place. It also allows Oklahomans who will be unable to cast a vote during early voting or on Election Day to send in the ballot ahead of time.
Completed absentee ballots must be sealed, notarized, and arrive at the County Election Board by 7 p.m. on election night.
The U.S. Postal Service encourages voters who want to mail in their completed ballots to do so at least one week before Election Day. Voters hand-delivering their ballots must do so at their County Election Board office before polls close on November 5th.
Over 40,000 Oklahoma voters have already cast their vote for President
According to NBC News, over 115,000 Oklahomans have already requested an absentee ballot. More than 40,000 people across the state have already voted.
Of those who have requested an absentee ballot, roughly 49% are registered Republicans, 36% are democrats, and 15% are independents.
Nationwide, more than 14 million Americans have already cast their vote. A total of more than 43 million have requested an absentee or mail-in ballot. Roughly 47% of the votes already cast have been from Democrats, 36% have been from Republicans, and 17% have been from Independents.
By this time in 2020, roughly 16 million votes were already cast, nearly 53% of which came from Democrats. Republicans made up about 25% of the early vote at this point in 2020, and Independents made up 21%.
Following the spread of election lies and misinformation from the Trump campaign in 2020, the Postal Service says it is taking “extraordinary measures” to protect and deliver ballots nationwide. These extraordinary measures, starting on October 21st, will help expedite the delivery of ballots to Election Board across the country.
To apply for an absentee ballot in Oklahoma before the 5 p.m. deadline on Monday, October 21st, click here.
