Garvin County polling places will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 28, as voters across the state cast ballots in Republican and Democratic primary races, deciding which candidates will advance to the August 23 primary runoff and the November 8 general election. In Garvin County, primary races for State Representative, State officers and Congressional offices will be on the ballot.
County voters will also be deciding a nonpartisan county proposition that, if passed, will allow retail liquor stores to be open for business on Sundays.
The Garvin County Board of Commissioners placed the proposition on the ballot earlier this year, after receiving a request from local liquor store owners. Those retailers argue recent changes in Oklahoma liquor laws allow grocery stores and convenience stores to sell alcohol on Sundays, while retail spirits licensees are still largely required to remain closed.
For those retailers to open for business on Sundays, Oklahoma statutes require a majority of county voters approve a measure allowing them to do so.
Seven Oklahoma counties currently allow retail liquor store sales on Sundays. Those counties – Cleveland, Creek, Kingfisher, Muskogee, Oklahoma, Tulsa and Washington – approved Sunday liquor store sales in 2020.
Oklahoma primaries are closed, meaning if you affiliated with a political party on your voter registration, you may only cast ballots for that party’s candidates in primary elections. However, for the 2022-2023 election years, the Democratic Party has opened its primaries to registered Independents.
Independent voters wishing to vote a Democratic ballot, should let election workers know when they check in. All voters are eligible to vote in any nonpartisan elections on the ballot.
In-person absentee voting, more commonly known as “early voting,” will be available from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday and Friday, June 23 and 24, and from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m Saturday, June 25, at the Garvin County Election Board, 201 W. Grant, Room 8, in Pauls Valley. No excuse is needed to cast an in-person absentee ballot.
Due to statutory redistricting, voters are strongly encouraged to verify their voting districts before heading to their voting location – as some voting districts have changed. Voters can verify that information and view a sample ballot using the OK Voter Portal on the State Election Board website, www.elections.ok.gov, or they can call the Garvin County Election Board at 405-238-3303.
Republican primary races and candidates on Tuesday’s ballot include:
Governor - Moira McCabe, Joel Kintsel, Kevin Stitt and Mark Sherwood;
State Auditor and Inspector - Steven W. McQuillen and Cindy Byrd;
Attorney General - Gentner F. Drummond and John M. O’Connor;
State Treasurer - David B. Hooten, Clark Jolley and Todd Russ;
Supt. of Public Instruction - John Cox, William E. Crozier, April Grace and Ryan Walters;
Commissioner of Labor - Keith Swinton, Sean Roberts and Leslie Kathryn Osborn;
Corporation Commissioner - Harold D. Spradling, Justin Hornback, Todd Thomsen and Kim David;
State Representative District 42 - Matthew D. Huggans and Cindy Roe;
State Representative District 48 - April Brown and Tammy Townley;
U.S. Senator - Jackson Lahmeyer, James Lankford and Joan Farr;
U.S. Senator (unexpired term) - Luke Holland, Markwayne Mullin, John F. Tompkins, Scott Pruitt, T.W. Shannon, Adam Holley, Randy J. Grellner, Alex Gray, Paul Royse, Laura Moreno, Nathan Dahm, Jessica Jean Garrison and Michael Coibion;
U.S. Representative District 4 - Frank W. Blacke, James Taylor and Tom Cole.
Democratic primary races and candidates include:
Governor - Connie Johnson and Joy Hoffmeister;
U.S. Senator- Jason Bollinger, Brandon Wade, Madison Horn, Arya Azma, Jo Glenn, and Dennis L. Baker.
