Super Tuesday Presidential Primary voting begins Thursday

Feb. 27—Rogers County's nearly 63,000 registered voters — Democrats, independents, Libertarians and Republicans — will begin casting votes Thursday 8 a.m. for their presidential choice in what is known nationwide as the Super Tuesday of presidential primary politics.

Oklahoma is one of 16 states voting in Super Tuesday's referendum on party candidates who hope to secure if not the majority, at least a few delegates they can take to their party's national conventions.

Two locations are provided for early voting in Rogers County. Voting begins Thursday, Friday and Saturday at the Rogers County Election Board Office, 415 W. First St. in Claremore (south of the County Courthouse), and Central Baptist Church, 9001 N. 154th East Ave., in Owasso.

Voting sites are open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, and both locations will be open again Saturday, March 2, from8 a.m. to 2 p.m. In-person voting, at the precinct voting locations, will be 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 5.

Julie Dermody, Election Board secretary, said voters will see multiple candidates on their ballots. Most have already suspended campaigns. She explained to the attendees at the Rogers County Commissioners meeting Monday that these candidates chose to remain on the ballot so they can still collect delegates and possibly have a say in the party's final selection of the final presidential candidate.

County voters will see Oklahoma has 16 presidential candidates in all. These are listed on three separate party ballots: eight on the Republican ballot, two on the Libertarian ballot, and six on the Democrat presidential candidate ballot. Voters will only receive one ballot determined by party affiliation.

Dermody said the start of early voting means the 2024 election season is "in full force," and so are the laws protecting voter access and the integrity of the election process.

Early voting is open to all eligible registered voters.

"You do not need to provide an excuse to vote early. This is a great option for those who will be out of town on Election Day or who want to avoid long lines," Dermody said.

While most voters will vote their registered party's ballot, independent voters can vote the Democratic party's primary ballot. They cannot vote the Libertarian and Republican ballot, as these parties have closed primaries.

Additional voter and election information can be found online at rogerscountyelectionboard.org.

Other states participating in Super Tuesday include Alabama, Alaska (GOP only), Arkansas, California, Colorado, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia and the U.S. territory of American Samoa.