The three-day filing period for school board offices opens next Monday, Dec. 2, and runs through Wednesday, Dec. 4.
Election Board offices in Lincoln and Pottawatomie Counties will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each of those days, Lincoln County Election Board Secretary Melissa Stambaugh and Pottawatomie County Election Board Secretary Trish Carter announced.
They both emphasized that Declaration of Candidacy forms must be completed and submitted to the respective County Election Boards by no later than 5 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 4.
They also point out that contests of candidacy must be filed no later than Friday, Dec. 6 and only may be filed by another candidate for that office.
Contests against unopposed candidates may be filed by contacting the respective County Election Board.
Office No. 5 in eight of the Lincoln County School districts is up for election including Agra, Carney, Chandler, Davenport, Meeker, Prague, Stroud, Wellston. At White Rock, Office 2 is up for election. All of those are for five-year terms with the exception of White Rock which is a three-year term.
Office No. 5 is also up for election in the following Pottawatomie County School districts in this area including North Rock Creek, Dale and McLoud. The Gordon Cooper Technology Center District has two seats up for election. Office No. 2 is for a five-year term and Office No. 5 is an unexpired term with three years remaining.
The two Election Board secretaries explain that if more than two candidates file for the same position, a primary election will be held Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025. If one of those candidates receives more than 50 percent of the vote, that candidate will be named the elected official.
If no candidate receives more than 50 percent, then the two receiving the highest number of votes will vie for the position in the April 1 General Election.
If only two candidates file for an office, then they will appear on the General Election ballot April 1.
The Lincoln County Election Board office is located in the courthouse at 811 Manvel Avenue, Suite 15, in Chandler and is open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday with the exception of the three-day filing period.
The email address is lincolncounty@elections.ok.gov In Pottawatomie County, the Election Board Office is located at 330 N. Broadway, Shawnee, and the office hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday with the exception of the three-day filing period. The number is 405-273-8376.
The email address is Pottawato-miecounty@ elections.ok.gov Candidate filing packets are available on the State Election Board website at https://oklahoma.gov/elections/candidates/ candidate-filing.html and at the County Election Boards.