Tulsa Co. Election Board Says It's Ready For Voters

Polls open Tuesday morning for the state's primary runoff election. And with contentious local and state races, poll workers are bracing for another heavy turnout.

More Oklahomans voted in June’s primary election than in the 2016 presidential primary.

Even though Tuesday’s vote is a runoff, poll workers in Tulsa County are still bracing for a busy day.  They say they’re confident they won’t face the same problems at precincts that they dealt with two months ago.

“We’ve seen a really, really phenomenal turnout in June, for June’s election, and now we’re seeing some really, really strong numbers leading into tomorrow’s election,” said Gwen Freeman from the Tulsa County Election Board.

The election board says it has already processed more than 3,700 early votes, which is not as high as the three days of early voting in June, when it processed 6,000.

6/27/18 Related Story:  Voter Turnout For Tuesday's Primary Surpasses 2014 General Election Turnout

However, without medical marijuana at stake and with this being a runoff, the secretary of the board says these early numbers are impressive.

“Everybody that I’m talking to that have been here for years and years and years are talking about how they are very, very pleased with the turnout for this runoff,” stated Freeman.

There will be three or four poll workers at all 262 precincts.  On Monday, they picked up their supplies, everything down to the pens voters will use to cast their ballots.

“That’s a lot of locations,” said Freeman. “There’s bound to be things that will happen from time to time.”

6/26/18 Related Story:  Problems Reported At Some Tulsa County Polling Places

Like locked doors at precincts – just one of the problems faced in the June primary.  In June, poll workers had to improvise at several precincts, turning their personal vehicles into voting booths.

A church and three schools opened late and one precinct got the wrong ballots.

“After every election, we look at the problems that occur from precinct to precinct and we put into plans, we put into effect plans that would try to avoid any future problems like that,” explained Freeman.  “We’re feeling very, very confident about tomorrow.”

In June, some voters even turned up at the election board office to cast their ballot   Freeman reminds voters, that their office on North Denver is not a polling place.