By Madi Alexander, Web Editor
Voter registration deadlines have passed in most states, but there still is time for registered voters to request an absentee ballot.
Absentee ballots allow voters to exercise their voting rights without going to their respective county election board during early voting or to their polling location on Election Day.
Voters may request absentee ballots for several reasons.
I requested one because, frankly, I’m lazy. I have no desire to spend my morning at my polling location nor do I want to drive 10 miles to the Cleveland County Election Board for early voting.
Any registered voter in Oklahoma is eligible to receive an absentee ballot.
Here is a list of absentee ballot information for students from Oklahoma or surrounding states:
Oklahoma: The election board must receive absentee ballot requests by 5 p.m. Oct. 31. Click here to view the absentee ballot application for Oklahoma.
Texas: To request an absentee ballot in Texas, voters must be disabled, in jail, older than 65 years old, or out of the county of residence for early voting and Election Day. The election board must receive requests at least seven days before the election. The deadline this year is Oct. 30. For students registered in Texas who are not returning to the state to vote, click here to request an absentee ballot.
Kansas: Students registered to vote in Kansas may vote absentee through the use of an advance ballot. The election board must receive advance ballots by Nov. 2. The advance ballot application requires the voter to provide a current and valid Kansas driver’s license number or non-driver’s ID number. Students lacking the aforementioned forms of identification should provide a photocopy of a passport, driver’s license or non-driver’s ID, a U.S. military ID, or one of the other ID forms listed on the application. Students should note that Kansas only recognizes student ID cards issued by accredited Kansas postsecondary educational institution. To view the application for an advance ballot, click here.
Missouri: Students registered in Missouri are eligible for absentee voting if they plan to be absent from their county of registration on Election Day. First-time voters who registered by mail must submit proof of identification with the application for an absentee ballot. Acceptable identification includes photo ID cards, bank statements, paychecks, or government document listing the voter’s name and address. Click here to view the application for an absentee ballot in Missouri.
Not from a state previously mentioned? Click here for comprehensive absentee ballot and voting law information provided by New York University’s Brennan Center for Justice.
Postage and envelopes are available for purchase in the Mail Center in Tom and Brenda McDaniel University Center. The Mail Center is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. For notary services on ballots requiring a notary’s stamp, contact Dorothy Tennery at (405) 208-5530 or dtennery@okcu.edu.
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