By Jeff Shultz
Publisher

Garvin County Election officials are encouraging voters to pay close attention to their ballots this Tuesday during the June 26 Primary Election as election ballots will differ between the various precincts in the county.

Due to recent redistricting, some voters will be voting for certain candidates while others will be casting their ballots for other candidates during Tuesday’s primary election.

To avoid any confusion on Election Day, Garvin County Election Board Secretary Cathy Brinley is encouraging voters to verify with the election board what precinct they are supposed to vote in this Tuesday.

“Tuesday’s ballots will be pretty straight forward,” she said. “However, due to redistricting some voters will be voting at a different precinct than in the past. It’s important for voters to check with us to make sure they will be voting at the correct precinct.”

Recently, election officials sent voter cards to all registered voters in the county asking the voters to verify their new 911 addresses. Several of those cards were returned to the county election board office.

“My fear is we’ll have some voters appear at their old precinct, thinking that is where they will be voting on Tuesday.”

“Some of those people will be told to cast ballots at another precinct.”

Adding to the pressure of Election Day will be the new Voter ID law, which was enacted in 2010 by a vote of the people.

The new law, which went into effect on July 1, 2011, requires all voters to produce a government-issued form of identification to prove their identity before they are allowed to vote.

“A document used for proof of identity must include your name, which must match your name on your voter registration record, a photograph of you and an expiration date that is later than Election Day,” Brinley said.

“Your name on your proof of identity must match your name in the Precinct Registry,” Brinley said.

Voters whose full legal name is on both their proof of identity and on their voter registration record should have no problem at the polls.

However, voters whose name have changed due to marriage or divorce and voters who may have registered to vote under a nickname or a variation of their full legal name may encounter difficulties.

“Voters who don’t have proof of identity, or whose name on the voter registration record does not match the name on their proof of identity, will have to vote by provisional ballot,” Brinley said.

Brinley said she is encouraging all registered voters in the county to verify that they have registered to vote using the same name that appears on their driver license or other primary form of identification.

In order to verify voter registration information, voters may contact the Garvin County Election Board at 405-238-3303.

Voters who wish to cast their ballots prior to Tuesday’s election can do so this Friday, Saturday and Monday at the Garvin County Election Board located in the Garvin County Courthouse.

Early voting times are between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Friday and Monday and from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday.

“Early voting on those days is an easy process and any voter in the county can come to the Election Board Office to cast their ballots,” Brinley said.