State officials expecting busy day Friday as election filing deadline approaches

Only a handful of Oklahomans seeking political office filed their paperwork Thursday, Oklahoma State Election Board officials said.

Election board records show 206 political hopefuls filed for office. That number, state Election Board Secretary Paul Ziriax said, is pretty typical for a presidential election year. Historically, the middle of the period has always been the slowest, he said. In the 2022 midterm election, 16% of candidates filed on the second day, and in 2020 only 13% filed. The third day usually sees an uptick.

Ziriax said the filing process had gone smoothly even with the new requirement that candidates have to prove their voter registration. "That (the voter registration) may have created a little lag, but overall things have gone smoothly," Ziriax said.

On Thursday, only 12 candidates had filed paperwork by noon.

Misha Mohr, public information officer for the state Election Board, said new candidates were excited to file and returning candidates shared the same enthusiasm.

“It is fun to watch new candidates come through. This is a huge experience for a lot of people coming up to the state Capitol to file, especially for the first time,” Mohr said. “They’ll have their children, they’ll have their wives, their family members, mom and dad.”

The selfie station, with a background listing the Election Board's website, has been a big hit, especially for posting on social media and commemorating the day, Mohr said.

More: Oklahoma election season is here: Candidates begin filing to run for office at the state Capitol

Mohr said the agency has also "hit their stride" on an improved process. The filing used to be held in the west hallway, blocking off an entrance and exit. Candidates had to wait for verification. Now they get a call or a text message and they can easily visit the cafeteria or other areas of the Capitol. During the pandemic, the filing tables were set up outside.

It’s easier if candidates download the filing packet first and ensure they have the needed documents and then file in person, she said.

Once state Election Board staff receives candidates’ packets at the welcome table, paperwork is checked for the correct district and that either the appropriate filing fee is made out to the secretary of state’s office or a petition has been submitted with at least 2% of voters’ support in their district. Then the official filing desk receives the information and does a thorough review of the declaration of candidacy. Some candidates might receive a callback about errors or issues with their declaration. Most issues are easy fixes, but ones such as filing in the wrong district or not meeting the residency requirements, are a little more difficult to fix. The board works with the candidates to get the issues straightened out and filed properly, Mohr said.

When is the deadline to file for candidacy in Oklahoma?

As long as candidates have their paperwork completed and turned in by 5 p.m. on April 5, they’re in the running.

Candidate Wendi Stearman was among those who filed Thursday. She said she fixed a callback issue and waited for a confirmation text. Stearman is running for state Senate District 29, which includes Washington, Nowata and northern Rogers counties. She was a previous state representative for District 11.

"It's pretty well streamlined," Stearman said Thursday, as she waited for her filing confirmation. "All is good and they said it should be fine and I'm just waiting on my confirmation text so I can leave."

Rep. Mauree Turner sent a news release signifying they would not run again, citing health diagnoses.

"In the beginning, I asked if I could be fully me and run for office — there's no way I could do this job otherwise — and you all said yes as long as I keep you fully intact in every policy I write and every conversation I have," they wrote in the statement.

Turner's legislative aide, Nicole Maldonado, 24, filed to run for the district.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma elections filing deadline is Friday, April 5