Deadline to Request Absentee Ballots Nears

Less than a week remains for registered voters in Sequoyah County to apply for absentee ballots to be mailed to them for the Feb. 14 annual school and city of Sallisaw election, Sequoyah County Election Board Secretary Cindy Osborn said.

Sallisaw voters were to vote on two posts, for police chief and mayor. Police Chief Terry Franklin was the only candidate to file for that post and he will take office automatically. His name will not be on the ballot.

Four persons filed for the Sallisaw mayor’s post but all withdrew except Jim Hudgens, Ward 2 city commissioner. Candidate George Bormann also withdrew from the race, but too late to remove his name from the ballot, an election board official explained. Since Bormann’s name remains on the ballot, the election board must conduct the election.

In the school elections, three races will be held.

For the Marble City School Board, Office No. 2, a three-year term, Nancy Fields is the incumbent and David Crow is the challenger.

For the Vian School District Board Jerry Caughmann and Garrett Ford are both running for Office No. 2 for a five-year term.

For Indian Capital Vo-Tech, Office No. 2 for a five-year term, Tom Stiles, the incumbent, is challenged by Ray Kirk.

Applications for absentee ballots must be received by the county election board no later than 5 p.m. Feb. 8 to be processed in time for the election.

Absentee voters may apply in person at the county election board office or may send their applications by mail, fax, or e-mail. An online version of the form may be filled out and submitted electronically at www.elections.ok.gov. Any registered voter eligible to vote in the election may vote by absentee ballot without stating a reason, Osborn said, however absentee voters can activate certain special conditions in the following circumstances:

Registered voters who are physically incapacitated and voters who care for physically incapacitated persons who cannot be left unattended may apply for absentee ballots only by mail, fax, e-mail, online or via an agent who is at least 16 years of age and who is not employed by or related within the third degree of consanguinity or affinity to any person whose name appears on the ballot.

Registered voters who are confined to nursing homes in the county may apply by mail, by fax, by e-mail, online or via an agent who is at least 16 years of age and who is not employed by or related within the third degree of consanguinity or affinity to any person whose name appears on the ballot.

Military personnel, residents of Sequoyah County living overseas, and the spouses and dependents of each group may apply only by mail, by fax, or by e-mail. For more information and instructions, military and overseas voters may visit the Federal Voting Assistance Program website: www.fvap.gov/oklahoma. 

For more information on absentee voting, contact the county election board at 110 E. Creek Ave., Sallisaw 74955. The telephone number is 918-775-2614. The county election board’s fax number is 918-775-1205.

Sally Maxwell, Senior News Director

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