Currently, if voters wanted to cast a ballot ahead of an election in-person, they could do so on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at their county election board. House Bill 2663, which won Senate approval this week, adds the Wednesday before an election day to the early voting period.
Senate Floor Leader Kim David, who authored HB 2663, says the measure is meant to improve voter turnout in Oklahoma.
“While more Oklahomans voted in the November 2020 presidential election than in 2016, our state still ranks last for voter turnout when considering the total voting-eligible population,” David said. “Currently, our state has the shortest in-person early voting period nationwide. Given people’s busy schedules and how far they may have to travel to get to their county election board, three days is a very short window for this important civic duty. Providing this additional time to vote early will hopefully entice more Oklahomans to participate in the process and let their voices be heard.”
The U.S. Elections Project indicates that a little over 55 percent of Oklahoma’s 2.85 million voting-eligible citizens participated in the November 2020 General Election. The national average is 66 percent.
House Majority Floor Leader Jon Echols is the House author of HB 2663.
“We want qualified voters to have every opportunity to vote in an election no matter what emergency might be taking place,” Echols said. “We also, however, want certified election results on election day. Extending early voting helps us accomplish both.”
HB 2663 now returns to the House.
