The General elections will take place soon. Here is all the information you need to know.
Oklahomans will be voting in the general elections on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Voter registration deadline is Oct. 9. To get an absentee ballot to vote outside of your assigned voting station, you must have it ordered before Oct. 19, and you must have it signed by a notary, which you can find at a public library or nearby banks. Need to register, find your voting station, or request an absentee ballot? Go to okvoterportal.okelections.gov. Voting in the general election can be the difference in how your education is provided here at the university.
What to expect
The ballot will have a vote for candidates for multiple offices. The offices up for grabs include: U.S. Senate, U.S. House, Governor and Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Commissioner of Insurance, Commissioner of Labor, Corporation Commissioner, Superintendent of Public Instruction, and the Treasurer. There will also be two state questions. State question 845 aims to make changes to the Judicial Nominating Commission amendment, while state question 847 looks to reduce annual increase in property value for tax calculations.
Unlike the primary election, you are not limited to voting for your political party. You will be able to vote for any candidate regardless of party affiliation.
Importance of the election here on campus
This election is of high importance to public universities such as the University of Science and Arts. According to Andy Smarick of the Manhattan Institute, 87% of undergraduates in public universities attend colleges governed by boards that are majority picked by the governor. These boards are the decision makers in a university’s operations. As we have seen here on campus, the decisions that governors and these boards make directly impact students financially. Their decisions determine whether a class or even a degree program is cut off from colleges.
okvoterportal.okelections.gov provides more information about your current voting status, find your polling place, request absentee ballots and change personal information. https://oklahoma.gov/elections.html will have more information on deadlines, the candidates running, and the state questions.
Furthermore, the Student Government Association will be hosting a governor debate watch party, Thursday, Oct. 1, at 7p.m, in Station 82.
Change starts with you. Go out and vote!
Zeke is a third-year business administration major at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma.
