“I learned from my white students; they learn from me. The beauty of America is in the diversity of her people.” —CLARA LUPER, The Oklahoman I’m An TO THE 2020 OKLAHOMA VOTER GUIDE Notaries can be Welcome Any Oklahoma commonly found at tag ON THE COVER: Clara Luper (1923-2011) was a civic leader, retired schoolteacher, and a pioneering leader in the American Civil Rights Movement. She is best known voter can vote by agencies, photocopy for her leadership role in the 1958 Oklahoma City sit-in movement, as she, her young son and daughter, and numerous young members of the NAACP Youth Council absentee ballot. No successfully conducted nonviolent sit-in protests of downtown drugstore lunch counters, which overturned their policies of segregation. Illustration by Danielle Maniguet. shops, AAA, real estate reason is required. firms, tax prep firms, Contact the insurance agencies, For the League of and banks. Nov. 3 @ Women Voters election, VOTING IS VITAL. or your county an absentee election board for 10. 1. ballot must be requested Dear Fellow Oklahomans, We each have individual agency — the power additional information from your county to effect change in ways sometimes imperceptible, about voting. election board by Voting is the lifeblood of our democracy. It empowers sometimes immeasurable, but always impactful. Voting 5 p.m. on Oct. 27. us to choose those whom we want to represent us is one profound way to exercise that agency, to unleash 9. — those upon whom we bestow power to manage that power. 2. and lead the systems and institutions that cause We are approaching the centennial of the 1921 democracy to flourish or flounder. Tulsa Race Massacre, a most undemocratic event. All absentee ballots Civil rights legend John Lewis, heralded for his It is fitting that we consider how to leverage the must be received by ABSENTEE lifelong commitment to making democracy work lessons of our historical racial trauma in ways that Notaries cannot the election board HANNIBAL B. for all Americans, championed voting rights in the honor the memory of those who bled and died charge a fee NOTARY JOHNSON, a Civil Rights Era and beyond. He and others put their so we — all of us — might fully engage with our no later than 7 p.m. NO CHARGE for notarizing a on Election Day Harvard Law School lives on the line — literally — for a core principle democracy. 8. BALLOT 3. signature on an to be counted — graduate, is an author, underlying democratic elections: one person, one vote. Leaders like Oklahoma’s own civil rights icon, absentee ballot. not postmarked on attorney, consultant, We remember Freedom Summer. We Clara Luper, understood the imperative of making Election Day. and college professor. remember James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, America a more perfect union through voting, He writes, teaches, and and Michael Schwerner. We remember the advocacy, and activism. FAQS lectures about African Voting Rights Act of 1965. If we want communities that are responsive to our American history. Voting gives us voice. The franchise is our top-shelf needs, if we want leaders who maintain their fidelity to 7. tool for fixing what ails our democracy at the local, our Constitution and other laws, and if we want fellow 4. state, and national levels. citizens who are willing to do the hard work essential For the Nov. 3 election, Two stamps are Congressman Lewis, in his final essay published to maintaining our democracy, then voting is vital. there are alternatives to recommended posthumously in the New York Times, opined: Do your part. If you are not registered, register notarization. Check the state when mailing your “[E]ach of us has a moral obligation to stand up, now. If you are unfamiliar with polling places, or your county absentee ballot. 6. 5. speak up and speak out. When you see something that alternatives to in-person voting, or the issues and election board is not right, you must say something. You must do candidates, become familiar. Do your homework. If websites. something. Democracy is not a state. It is an act, and you need assistance with voting, seek it out; come up each generation must do its part to help build what we with a plan. called the Beloved Community, a nation and world Voting is not optional. It’s our civic duty. Voting Mail your absentee Your affidavit society at peace with itself.” is vital. ballot at least a week envelope is notarized in advance. and placed inside the return envelope. 2020 OKLAHOMA VOTER GUIDE | 1 “I came from a family of believers. We believed in the sun when it didn’t shine. We believed in the rain when it wasn’t raining. My parents taught me to believe in a God I couldn’t see.” ——CLARA LUPER Voting INFORMATION THE 2020 GENERAL ELECTION WILL BE HELD TUES., NOV. 3, FROM 7 A.M. TO 7 P.M. Q: WHICH RACES WILL APPEAR ON BALLOTS ACROSS THE identification issued by federal, state, or tribal authorities, such Oct. 30, and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sat., Oct. 31. Some counties have STATE? as a driver’s license or passport. If you do not have a photo ID, second early voting locations. Those can be found at: https:// A: The 2020 general election races are President, U.S. Senator, and you can present your Voter Identification Card. If you have no www.ok.gov/elections/Early_Voting.html. If you are 18 OR OLDER AND A U.S. CITIZEN, YOU CAN VOTE! U.S. Representative in District 1, District 2, District 3, District 4, identification, you may cast a provisional ballot accompanied by and District 5. State races include odd-numbered districts in a sworn affidavit. Q: CAN I VOTE BY ABSENTEE BALLOT? In Oklahoma, proof of identity is required for every voter who votes in person at their precinct polling place or during early voting. the Oklahoma Senate as well as seats in the Oklahoma House. A: Yes. You can request an absentee ballot before 5 p.m. Tues., Oct. Judicial Retention races are three Justices of the Supreme Court, Q: CAN I BRING A SAMPLE BALLOT OR WRITTEN NOTES TO 27. Requests can be submitted online at https://okvoterportal. two Judges of the Court of Criminal Appeals, and three Judges HELP ME WHEN I VOTE? okelections.us, downloaded from the state election board Proof of identity is one of the following: Board. Marked ballots must be returned You must: people OR the voter may submit a copy of the Court of Civil Appeals. A: Yes, but don’t show them to anyone at your polling place or website, or obtained from your county election board. • Any government-issued document that to your County Election Board by regular • Vote absentee. Mail your absentee ballot of a valid ID. There are two state questions. while you are voting. You can use our “cheat sheet” on the includes your name, your photograph, and mail or by fax. to the ACP box. The attorney general’s At the county level, races are for county clerks, county court inside back cover of this Voter Guide. Q: CAN I VOTE “STRAIGHT PARTY” ON NOV. 3? an expiration date that falls after the date of You must: office will forward your absentee ballot. If you are voting by absentee ballot, clerks, sheriffs, and county commissioners. A: Yes. You can mark a place at the top of the ballot to vote for all the election in which you are voting. • Submit military and overseas ballots so Ballots must be notarized and received by you must: Across the state, there are other various local races. Q: I HAVE A FULL-TIME JOB. IS MY EMPLOYER REQUIRED TO candidates on the ballot who belong to a single party. • Your free Voter Identification Card issued they arrive at your County Election Board 7 p.m. on Election Day. • Notarize your absentee ballot OR LET ME GO VOTE? by your County Election Board. by 7 p.m. on Election Day. under the governor’s COVID-19 state of Q: DO I NEED TO MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT ALL OF THOSE? A: Oklahoma employers must provide employees with two hours Q: HOW DO I TURN IN MY ABSENTEE BALLOT? • Signing a sworn affidavit and voting by Do you have disabilities? emergency, use the alternate option for A: No. You can vote for as many or as few candidates as you of paid time to vote when polls are open on Election Day or on A: The state began distributing absentee ballots on Fri., Sept. 18. provisional ballot. Are you a convicted felon? You can: absentee voter verification by submitting like. If you only vote in one race or on one state question, a day on which in-person absentee voting is allowed by law, Completed ballots must be returned by mail to your county You can: • Vote at your polling place on Election Day a copy of a valid ID. that vote will still count. unless their shifts give them plenty of time to do so before or election board and received no later than 7 p.m. on Election Are you a college student? • Register to vote after you complete or during early voting using an audio tactile after work. If you work more than two hours from your voting Day, Nov. 3. The United States Postal Service recommends You can: your incarceration, probation, and/or interface (ATI) that enables you to listen to Valid IDs include: Q: WHERE CAN I FIND A SAMPLE BALLOT LISTING MY place, your employer must allow sufficient time in which to cast mailing your completed ballot at least one week prior to Nov.