Ardmore, Oklahoma Public Records

Registration must be completed by 5:00 PM at least 24 days before any election. The state requires voters to provide their Oklahoma driver license or ID card number, or the last four digits of their Social Security number when registering. The City of Ardmore conducts municipal elections for mayor and city council positions under its council-manager form of government with an elected mayor and four ward commissioners. Municipal elections typically take place in April of odd-numbered years, with the next scheduled for April 2025 to elect the mayor and council seats whose terms expire. Candidate filings for municipal offices go through the City Clerk's office at City Hall, and local ballot measures such as bond issues and charter amendments appear on municipal ballots when placed by the city council or citizen petition. Residents can locate their assigned polling place using the online lookup tool at the Oklahoma Voter Portal (www.okvoter.gov) by entering their name and date of birth, or by calling the County Election Board. Polling locations are assigned based on residential address and precinct boundaries. Oklahoma maintains extensive public election records under state law. Voter registration lists showing names, addresses, party affiliation, and voting history, which elections a person voted in, but not how they voted, are available for purchase from county election boards for legitimate purposes. Campaign finance reports for state and local candidates are filed with the Oklahoma Ethics Commission and searchable at www.ethics.ok.gov, showing contributions received and expenditures made by candidate committees and political action committees. Candidate filing information and certified election results by precinct are available from the County Election Board and published on the State Election Board website. In the November 2024 presidential election, Carter County reported approximately 60-64% voter turnout of registered voters, with roughly 11,000-12,000 ballots cast from approximately 19,000 registered voters, reflecting strong engagement in the presidential race. Looking ahead to the November 3, 2026 general election - Oklahoma holds general elections the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November - local voters will decide several significant races. The state will elect a Governor in 2026, all five U.S. House of Representatives seats for Oklahoma's congressional delegation, and numerous state legislative seats including Oklahoma State Senate and House districts covering Carter County. County offices on the 2026 ballot include Carter County Sheriff, County Clerk, County Treasurer, County Assessor, and County Commissioner positions for districts whose terms expire. Depending on candidate filings, school board positions and judicial retention elections may also appear. Oklahoma's U.S. Senate seats, currently held by Senators Lankford and Mullin, are not up for election in 2026 due to staggered cycles. Oklahoma voters can request absentee ballots for any reason by submitting an Absentee Ballot Application Form to the Carter County Election Board, available for download at www.elections.ok.gov or by calling (580) 223-8154. Applications must be received by the Tuesday prior to the election for in-person absentee voting at the election board office, or by the Wednesday before the election for mail ballots. Military and overseas voters have extended deadlines. The state does not have universal mail voting; absentee ballots must be requested for each election. Completed absentee ballots can be returned by mail - must be postmarked by election day and received within three days - or delivered in person to the County Election Board office by 7:00 PM on election day.