Vian Bond Proposal Is for Buses; Voting Starts Thursday

Vian School District voters will go to the polls March 6 for the Vian Special School Election.

Vian School Superintendent Victor Salcedo said the ballot has two proposals, for a total of $650,000. If approved the bond issues will be used to purchase vehicles for the school.

“We are taking bids now for two new school buses and a small 14-passenger vehicle with a lift and another one for students and faculty taking field trips and going to other school activities.”

The bond, if approved, will be for five years, Salcedo said. The bond would add $5.66 to property taxes, he added.

“We have 13 buses now, and the majority exceed 100,000 miles,” Salcedo said. “The oldest bus we have is a 1999 model, and the last time we bought a bus was in 2014.”

Salcedo said the school wants better buses for safety’s sake.

“We try to make sure our kids, our staff and faculty have safe transportation,” Salcedo said.

For Tuesday’s election, Cindy Osborn, Sequoyah County Election Board secretary, said, “Please keep the following information and tips in mind as the election approaches.”

- Early voting will be available at the county election board office from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday (March 1) and Friday (March 2). 

- Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday. Lines are possible at peak voting times. Wait times will likely be shortest at mid-morning and mid-afternoon. Anyone in line to vote at 7 p.m. will be allowed to cast a ballot.

- Anyone who needs to look up their polling place, verify their registration information, or view a sample ballot can do so online. The Online Voter Tool can be accessed on the Oklahoma State Election Board’s website: www.elections.ok.gov. Those who vote by mail can also check the status of their ballot using the Online Voter Tool. Sample ballots are also available at the county election board office.

- Oklahoma law requires every voter who votes in person at the precinct polling place or during early voting at the county election board to show proof of identity before receiving a ballot. There are three ways for voters to prove their identity under the law (only one proof of identity is required): Show a valid photo ID issued by federal, state, or tribal government; or show the free voter identification card issued to every voter by the county election board; or sign an affidavit and vote a provisional ballot. (If the information on the affidavit matches official voter registration records, the ballot will be counted after election day.)

- Physically disabled voters who cannot enter the polling place, need help marking their ballots, blind or visually disabled voters and illiterate voters may be assisted by a person the voter chooses. In all cases, a person providing such assistance may not be the voter’s employer or an agent of the employer or an officer or agent of the voter’s union. A person providing assistance also must swear or affirm that the voter’s ballots will be marked in accordance with the voter’s wishes. Alternatively, all blind, visually impaired, and physically disabled voters in Sequoyah County may use the audio-tactile interface (ATI), a feature offered on all Oklahoma voting devices, to vote privately and independently, either at Sequoyah County Election Board during early voting or at their assigned polling place on election day.

- Voters who have moved since the last election, but who have not transferred their voter registration to their new address, may do so on election day by going to vote at the polling place where their registration has been in the past. While voting, they may fill out a form instructing the county election board to transfer their registration to the new address before the next election.

- Those who became physically incapacitated after 5 p.m. Tuesday (Feb. 27) still can request an emergency absentee ballot. Those who might qualify for an emergency absentee ballot should contact the county election board office at 918-774-2614 as soon as possible for more information.

- Any violation of election law will be reported to the proper law enforcement authorities. Electioneering is not allowed within 300 feet of a ballot box. It is also unlawful to remove a ballot from the polling location, possess intoxicating liquors within half a mile of a polling place or to disclose how you voted while within the election enclosure.

For additional election-related information, visit: www.elections.ok.gov.

Sally Maxwell, Senior News Director

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