Guide to Houst District 39 Special Election

When?

The special primary election will be Dec. 12, and the special general election will occur on Feb. 13.

Why a special election?

Ten candidates are vying for the open State Representative seat which was recently vacated by State Representative Ryan Martinez. Only 9 of the 10 candidates will be on the ballot December 12th for the special primary.

As of January, the district had 15,456 registered Republicans, 6,530 Democrats and 5,232 independents, according to Oklahoma State Election Board data.

The winner of the general election will be seated just after the start of the 2024 legislative session.

Kristen Ferate
Republican Candidate
Erick Harris
Republican Candidate
Tim Hale
Republican Candidate
Paul Timmons
Democratic Candidate

Ronda Lee Peterson
Republican Candidate
William A. Gaige Jr.
Republican Candidate
Ross Vanhooser
Republican Candidate
Regan Raff
Democratic Candidate
Chris Price
Republican Candidate

General Voting Information:

Check if you are registered to vote, and if you are a resident of the district here: Home Page – OKVoterPortal (okelections.us)

Dates:

Last day to register to vote: November 17
Deadline to request absentee ballot: 5 PM, November 27
Early Voting: Thursday, December 7, 8 AM – 6 PM
Friday, December 8, 8 AM – 6 PM
Election Day: Tuesday, December 12, 7 AM – 7 PM

NOTE: Early voting polling place might be different than your normal polling place, check the Oklahoma State Election Board before you go!

What to bring:

A document used for proof of identity for voting must have been issued by the United States government, the State of Oklahoma, or a federally recognized tribal government.

The law requires a document used for proof of identity for voting to contain the following information:
The name of the person to whom it was issued
A photograph of the person to whom it was issued
An expiration date that is after the date of the election, unless the identification is valid indefinitely
The law requires the voter’s name on the proof of identity document to “substantially conform” to the voter’s name in the Precinct Registry. In other words, your name on your proof of identity must match your name in the Precinct Registry.

In Oklahoma, the forms of ID acceptable for voting are:

1. Oklahoma Driver License
2. Oklahoma State-Issued Identification Card
3. United States Passport
4. United States Military Identification

The law provides only two exceptions to these requirements:

1. An Oklahoma ID Card issued to a person who is 65 years or older is valid as proof of identity for voting even though it does not have an expiration date.

2. The Voter Identification Card issued by the County Election Board is valid as proof of identity even though it does not include a photograph or an expiration date.

Voter Intimidation:

Voter intimidation is any effort or practice by an individual or group to coerce or suppress the voting behavior of a particular class or demographic of voters. Most commonly, voter intimidation efforts have attempted to suppress the voices of low-income and minority voters.

Examples: Aggressive questioning about citizenship, nationality, religion, or criminal background – demanding the removal of religious clothing such as hijab or kufi – false statements about voting requirements, such as an ability to speak English – any activity intended to prevent or discourage someone from exercising their right to vote.
If you experience voter intimidation, contact:
• CAIR Oklahoma Phone: (405) 415-6851 Email: info@ok.cair.com
• The American Civil Liberties Union Voting Hotline Phone: 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683)
• Oklahoma State Election Board Phone: 405-521-2391

(From Oklahoma State Election Board)