Early voting begins Wednesday for November’s General Election

Comanche County residents who plan on voting early in this year’s General Election will have full ballots and a new voting location.

In-person absentee voting begins Wednesday, but voters will be lining up at the Comanche County Fairgrounds Annex at 920 S. Sheridan Road, rather than the traditional voting site in the Comanche County Courthouse. The change to a building adjacent to Great Plains Coliseum gives voters an extra day of early voting and a lot more elbow room than does a county courthouse that also is hosting the October/November trial docket for the next three weeks. Voting hours at the Annex will be 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.

Residents do not have to state a reason for voting early, but they will have to sign an affidavit stating they will not cast ballots at their regular precincts on Election Day. In addition, voters must present photo identification or their voter registration card to receive ballots.

Comanche County District Attorney Kyle Cabelka wants to remind voters to make sure they report any type of issues or irregularities at the polls to both the Comanche County Election Board as well as his office.

The ballots that voters receive will contain national, state and local races, as well as two state questions and a county proposal to allow Comanche County retailers to sell alcoholic beverages on Sunday.

County voters will be selecting a new sheriff to replace long-time Sheriff Kenny Stradley, choosing between Republican Michael Merritt and Democrat David Stroud. In north Lawton’s City Council Ward 2, voters will select someone to replace Councilman Kelly Harris, choosing between R.L. Smith and Shelli Fox. Fox and Smith moved to this runoff election after collecting the most votes in a five-candidate race where no one received the majority vote.

Comanche County voters also will be selecting representatives for State House District 62, 63 and 64, while voters in Comanche, Cotton, Jefferson and Stephens counties will be selecting a U.S. Congressional District 4 representative, selecting among Incumbent Tom Cole, a Republican; Mary Brannon, a Democrat, and James Stacy, an Independent. State House district candidates are: District 62: Incumbent Daniel Pae, Republican, and Allison Offield, Democrat; District 63: Incumbent Trey Caldwell, Republican, and Shykira Smith, Democrat; and District 64: Incumbent Rande Worthen, Republican, and Tom Sutherlin, Democrat.

Comanche County voters also will be deciding a proposal advanced by former District 1 Commissioner Trent Logan: allowing retail spirits licensees (liquor stores) across the county to sell alcoholic beverages on Sundays. Logan has said the sales could help the county generate more tax revenue, while also letting businesses make the decision about sales, rather than the government. Existing state law now allows liquor stores to sell only Monday through Saturday.

On a statewide level, voters will decide two state questions: amending the State Constitution to specify only a citizen (rather than every citizen) of the U.S. may vote; and allowing municipalities to create public infrastructure districts, with the authority to issue bonds for public improvements if approved by voters within that district.

Oklahomans also will join with voters across the nation to cast their ballots for president and vice president. In Oklahoma, voters will have four choices: Libertarian: Chase Oliver and Mike ter Maat; Republican: Donald J. Trump and J.D. Vance; Democrat: Kamala Harris and Tim Walz; Independent: Robert F. Kenney Jr. and Nicole Shanahan; and Independent: Chris Garrity and Cody Ballard.

Oklahoma voters also will decide a race for Corporation Commission, choosing among Chad Williams, Libertarian; J. Brian Bingman, Republican; and Harold Spradling, Democrat. Judicial retention for the Oklahoma Supreme Court, Court of Criminal Appeals and Court of Civil Appeals also will be on the ballot.