Oklahoma election today: What’s on the ballot? Primary runoffs, hotel tax and more

Oklahomans head to the voting booth Tuesday to decide local issues like taxes, school bonds and legislative seats.

Polling locations will be open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. on Tuesday. The EMBARK bus, RAPID and OKC Streetcar services will be free on all routes to help registered voters make it to the polls.

What’s on Tuesday’s ballot? Here’s what to know about Oklahoma’s Aug. 27 election:

When are elections taking place this year?

The next scheduled election in Oklahoma is the Aug. 27 primary runoff for federal, county and state offices. The deadline to register to vote in this election was Aug. 2.

The general election will be Tuesday, Nov. 5.

What do I need to take to the polls?

You will need to prove your identity to cast a regular ballot.

This can be done with a valid photo ID or the voter registration card you received from your County Election Board when you registered to vote.

Valid IDs must be issued by either the federal government, the state or a tribal nation, and the expiration date must be past the election date. If you don’t present a valid ID, poll workers will allow you to vote using a “provisional” ballot if you sign a sworn affidavit.

What’s on the ballot? See sample ballot in Oklahoma

To see who will be on your ballot, visit the state election board’s election list.

Elections of note:

Oklahoma City will vote on a hotel tax

Oklahoma City voters will decide Tuesday whether to increase the local hotel occupancy tax.

The tax is paid by those staying in the city’s hotels, and the funds are used to promote the city’s tourism industry. If passed, the tax would increase from its current rate of 5.50% to 9.25%, effective Oct. 1. The tax increase would also be charged to people renting home-sharing properties, such as Airbnbs, in Oklahoma City.

The last time OKC’s hotel tax appeared on the ballot, nearly 90% of voters approved the rate.

More: The growing Guthrie Public Schools district among those seeking passage of bond proposals

Metro communities voting on fire protection, schools, roads

In the cities and communities around Oklahoma City, there are several propositions that would increase taxes or allow the sale of bonds.

Deer Creek Fire Protection District is asking residents within its borders to increase their allocation to 10 mills from the current 7 or 7.3 mills. A mill is equal to $1 in tax for every $1,000 in a property’s taxable value. The district noted it hasn’t asked for an increase in 28 years.

McLoud Public Schools proposed bonds worth $30 million for new construction and another $1.1 million to acquire transportation equipment.

Piedmont residents’ ballots will include 25-year bond proposals that would raise over $10 million for streets, nearly $4.7 million for sports and recreation facilities, and $1.9 million for municipal facility construction.

Shawnee will elect a new mayor. Residents will decide between incumbent Mayor Ed Bolt and challenger Eric Stephens. The ballot will also include a contest for Ward 2 council seat between Greta Madson and Sydnie Davidson.

Further down the turnpike, Tulsa will select a new mayor.

Legislative primary runoffs

Ten legislative races will appear on ballots across the state as Republicans make their final choices for November. Each of these candidates were forced into a runoff when no candidate had a majority of votes in their partisan primary.

More: Four legislative races to be decided in primary runoff elections on Tuesday

Several of these primary runoff contests are for seats in the Oklahoma City area.

• North OKC’s Senate District 47 is currently held by term-limited Senate leader Greg Treat. The Republican primary runoff will see Kelly E. Hines face Jenny Schmitt.
• In Cleveland County, Lisa Standridge will face Robert C. Keyes for the GOP nomination in Senate District 15.
• House District 20 covers the cities of Newcastle and Goldsby. Republicans Mike Whaley and Jonathan Wilk will be on the ballot there.
• Moore’s state representative in District 53 will be Jason Blair or Nick Pokorny. Because there are no other candidates, the winner will become the district’s next representative.
• In Canadian County, the House District 60 GOP runoff features Mike Kelley and Ron Lynch. No other parties fielded a candidate.
• Northeast of Oklahoma City in Lincoln County is House District 32, currently held by House Appropriation and Budget Committee Chair Kevin Wallace. His challenger in the contentious election is fellow Republican Jim Shaw.
• Further afield in Oklahoma, several other races will be decided on Tuesday. In the Duncan area, retiring District 50 state Rep. Marcus McEntire will be replaced by either Stacy Jo Adams and Andrew Aldridge. Both are Republicans.
• A Republican state senator in eastern Oklahoma near Tahlequah is trying to hold onto his seat. Blake Cowboy Stephens faces a primary challenge from Julie McIntosh in Senate District 3.
• Senate District 33 features a race between Republicans Christi Gillespie and Shelley Gwartney in Broken Arrow.
• Another contest in Broken Arrow pits state Rep. Dean Davis against Gabe Woolley. Davis made headlines last year when he was arrested for public intoxication. The winner in the House District 98 GOP primary runoff will face the Democratic nominee in November.