Early voting begins Thursday for Senate District 32 race

Early voting begins Thursday for residents who want to cast ballots in the Oct. 10 special election for the Oklahoma Senate District 32 seat.

Registered voters in District 32 are seeking a replacement for former Sen. John Michael Montgomery, who resigned his post earlier this summer to take the job as president/CEO of the Lawton Fort Sill Chamber of Commerce.

For early voters, a two-member, bipartisan committee will be on duty from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday and Friday at the Comanche County Courthouse, Southwest 5th Street and Southwest C Avenue. Residents don’t have to state a reason for voting early, but they must sign an affidavit promising they won’t vote at their precincts on election day. Residents must present photo identification or their voter registration card to receive a ballot.

Four candidates are on the Republican ballot: Dusty Deevers, Jennifer Ellis, JJ Francais and Dr. Jean Hausheer. The Democratic ballot holds two names: Larry Bush and Johnny Jernigan.  The winner of each party will proceed to the Dec. 12 general election and the winner there will complete Montgomery’s unexpired term.

Senate District 32 includes northern and western Comanche County, to include everything west of Post Oak Road. In Lawton, the district includes the area north of West Lee Boulevard to Southwest 38th Street, then north of Southwest F Avenue to Southwest 3rd Street. A map of the district is available at oksenate.gov; click on the Senators icon in the upper left corner to find district maps.

Additional information is available at the Comanche County Election Board, Room 206 of the Comanche County Courthouse. The telephone number is 353-1880.