Friday, January 9, 2015

Elections~ Why so Many?

Elections are my business. It's what I do. I've been studying how Elections take place here in Oklahoma for absolutely years even before it was my job. I know rather pathetic.
None the less, I want to educate you, my friends on a few things.
Every year the our State Legislators set the election dates for the year ahead. In odd numbered years there is a possibility of 11 different election dates. This means that there are 11 times during the year that Municipalities, School Districts, Fire Districts, Counties or even the State can call for a "Special" election. This "Special" means an election is not planned, ie.. tax issues, bonds, changes in laws. There are also planned elections during these odd numbered years that happen every time. School Board is in February, Municipal in April.
Now here's where it gets crazy, because I could never understand it before I was in office and continue to be perplexed now that I'm here. When entities call for an election the month before a planned election, or the month after a planned election, when they could piggyback on to the dates of "planned" elections and save taxpayers money, and quite honestly have a much higher voter turnout.
I get phone calls at my office, consistently from voters wondering why I would schedule an election when it could have been with the planned ones. The Election Board is not the one that plans them or calls them. We only facilitate them.
The other phone calls we get consistently is voters calling wanting to know why they didn't know that there was an election or what it is all about. We at the Election Board send out press releases to all the media for every election. The Election Board does not promote. We notify via the Media outlets, but if they fail to run the stories on the "front page" many voters will never know.
Every Monday before an Election Contest takes place we will place signs out in front of the effected polling places. If there is a sign out at your normal polling place there is an Election happening. It may or may not affect you, depending on if it is a Municipal, School or Fire District. But if you don't know you can either call us at the Election Board or stop in on Election Day. Election Days in Oklahoma are always on a Tuesday.
I hope that if you have pondered any of these questions and wondered why, that this enlightens you.
This message is brought to you by your favorite Secretary of the Rogers County Election Board. Have a great day!