Countywide Voter Registration Drive

The Rogers County Election Board is busy preparing for the primary election on June 24.

(L to R): Secretary Julie Dermody, 2nd Deputy Katie Staskal and 3rd Deputy Stacy Arnold, Rogers County Election Board.

Our country was organized on the principles of ­representative democracy. Our freedoms are not the result of chance; we have them because the ­founding men and women were willing to pay the price for the freedom of future generations. There was a time in our nation’s history when the right to vote depended on your gender or color. Today, after extensive hard work and sacrifice of so many Americans, all citizens are guaranteed the right to have their voices heard at the polls.
    No right is more precious than our ­constitutional right to select the people we want to ­represent us in our city, ­county, state and national governments. Even so, ­thousands of eligible Rogers County citizens are not ­registered to vote.
    The Rogers County Election Board is promoting a Countywide Voter Registration Drive in ­preparation for the June 24th primary election. Groups, organizations, churches, ­businesses and pro-active ­citizens of Rogers County will be canvassing the county during the months of April and May. The Election Board has registration packets still available for those who would like to help get citizens ­registered.
    The number of active ­voters in Rogers County is just over 40,000. According to the 2010 census numbers there are approximately 65,000 eligible voters. Every two years the registrations are purged and this year we removed over 10,000 voters from the rolls.
    We want to go out into the community to attempt to re-energize voters who may be apathetic because of party discontent or other negative issues. Those who have never registered may believe that if they are registered to vote they will be called for jury duty, which is a huge ­misconception as juries are pooled from the driver’s license database.
    Rogers County is one of the fastest growing counties in the state of Oklahoma. Those who vote make the decision for everyone who lives here. This voter ­registration drive can be a simple way you can get involved. We want to help all citizens of Rogers County to reinstate their rights and ­­re-engage them in the voting process. Citizen action is the lifeblood of our Democratic Republic! It's easier than you may think.
    The Election Board will provide the tools needed in a voter registration packet. This packet has everything needed to register voters.
    Citizens who register should: be United States ­citizens, be residents of Oklahoma, be 18 years old or older, provide their driver’s license number or the last four digits of their social security number, and sign the form with their own original signature.
    During this registration drive, party affiliation changes are not allowed.
    Have fun! You are ­helping fellow citizens fulfill one of their most important civic responsibilities. So ­congratulations! This is a lot better than doing nothing, right? You are doing ­something extremely ­important!
    One of the most ­important actions you can take is to make sure the ­people of your community or neighborhood have a strong enough voice in the next ­election. Help more of them get registered! Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/voterinfo.

For more information, contact

Rogers County Election Board

(918) 341-2965

www.rogerscountyelectionboard.org