Unless you live under a rock, you probably know that here in Oklahoma we have a primary election coming up. There are ads EVERYWHERE right now, and it's hard to tell who is telling the truth. And one of the most important races is the race for state superintendent. While I have no real ties to the education system currently, I believe education is incredibly important and I want to vote on the right candidate for the job. (I'm still not sure who that is yet, but I'm pretty sure I know who it is NOT.)

But yesterday morning I realized that I had no idea where I was supposed to go to vote. More importantly, I realized that I had no idea if my name had been changed with the Election Board and if that would affect my ability to vote! (It's been awhile since I last voted.)

Yeah, haven't voted since the presidential election...

So I went to the Oklahoma State Election Board website and used their Search Tool. It's actually a pretty cool little device that pulls up your registration file and tells you all kinds of important facts like your voter ID number, party affiliation, and what districts you live in. It can be confusing to look at the maps to figure out which Congressional district you're in, so this was totally helpful! The search tool also tells you where you go to vote, where your local election board is located, and if you look within two weeks of an election, it provides a link to a sample ballot.

When I used the search tool, I discovered I'm still registered under my old name (I kind of hate the phrase maiden name so I try to avoid it). So I called my local election board to find out if I could still vote.

According to the very helpful man who answered the phone, if your name has changed but hasn't been updated in the voter registration system, you need to bring your voter registration card with your original name. If you're anything like me, then you may have no idea where the card is! So this nice man emailed me a temporary card that I can use to vote next week. He also told me they will have applications on hand at the local precinct so while I am there, I can fill out a new form to change my name so it will be up-to-date.

So now I know when, where, and how to vote. If you don't know where to go, or if you're even registered, go find out! If you aren't registered, unfortunately you won't be able to vote in this election. But fill out the form and you'll be ready to go for the next one!

Now I guess it's time to start researching the candidates! Do you have any strong opinions, particularly about the state superintendent race?