EDITORIAL: Remember to register to vote in important February election
Jan. 13—With important local elections fast approaching, we urge Norman residents to ensure you're registered and ready to vote by the end of this week.
While the elections for Norman mayor and council seats in wards 2, 4, 6 and 8 aren't until Feb. 8, the deadline to register to vote in those races is this Friday, Jan. 14.
If you've watched Norman politics over the last few years especially, you know how important all of these positions are. Councilors and the mayor decide on city priorities and approve the city budget each year; they can advocate for their constituents in ward-specific problems. Even-numbered ward residents have the chance to vote for the candidate they feel will best represent them and their needs at city hall.
Our story today on voter registration pointed out that while the most recent presidential and gubernatorial elections have brought high turnout in Cleveland County, the most recent mayoral election didn't draw quite the same participation.
It's easy to remember how deeply national and state elections affect us all, but it's important to remember that local elected officials also get to make both large and small decisions that impact our everyday lives. They're the ones who decide how our city will handle a pandemic, or how to go about repairing aging roads and bridges, or how to approach public safety.
Just in 2021, your councilors and the mayor have debated how to redraw the city's wards based on census data, stopped residential development in Norman and decided how to use federal pandemic relief funds. We point these out not to take sides on these issues, but to demonstrate how much of an impact city officials have on everyday life in Norman. These are the people you'll have a chance to vote for, or against, at the ballot box.
If you're not yet registered to vote in Cleveland County, it's a relatively quick process — you can find registration forms at the election board office (at 641 E. Robinson St. in Norman), your public library, county tag agencies, post offices and online at oklahoma.gov/elections.html. Make sure to mail your completed form in time that it's postmarked no later than midnight on Friday, or drop it off at the election board office by 5 p.m. Friday.
Voting on election day is also simple — in local elections, there's rarely a lengthy line to wait on at your precinct. If you're not sure which ward you're in and if you can vote in any of the council races, you can use the city's interactive ward map (bit.ly/3zSTaD4) to plug in your address and check your ward.
This Feb. 8, we hope to see lots of Norman residents at the polls picking their next mayor and city councilors.
The Norman Transcript Editorial Board includes Publisher Mark Millsap, Editor Emma Keith and News Editor Max Bryan. For comments or questions, email editor@normantranscript.com.
