All the cool people are registered to vote

Do you want to be cool? Then, you should make sure you’re registered to vote by Nov. 15. That is the last day you can register to vote if you want to cast your ballot in the MAPS election, being held Dec. 10.

That’s what’s hip in Oklahoma City – being a registered voter.

But wait: Do you have a non-OKC address? You might really live in Oklahoma City. The city has a handy page where you can see if your address is actually in the boundaries. It’s a little tricky around here, sometimes.

In Oklahoma, there are two ways to register to vote. One method is by downloading this voter registration application. Once you fill it out in blue or black ink, mail it to the Oklahoma State Election Board.

If you don’t have a way to print out the form, then you can find it at several offices around the city. Voter registration applications are available at the county election board, post offices, tag agencies, libraries and many other public locations.

At tag agencies that also offer state IDs or driver’s licenses, the form will be mailed for you, as required by law. Of course, if you fill out the form at the county election board, you won’t have to worry about needing a stamp or envelope, either.

While it won’t matter in the MAPS vote, choosing your party affiliation will matter next year when it comes time to vote for new elected officials. In Oklahoma, if you’re registered Independent – or “No Party” on the form –you can’t vote in the Republican primary; though you can vote in the Democratic primary.

Yes, filling out a paper form might seem a little outdated, but change is coming. A bill passed by Oklahoma’s legislature will allow for online registration, but the system has not yet been set up.

Once you become a registered voter, you can update your information online.

Speaking of paper forms, if you need an absentee ballot, you have to request that by 5 p.m. Dec. 4. You can do so by sending in this form or you can do it online at okvoterportal.okelections.us. There’s more information about the absentee voting process at elections.ok.gov.

There’s more information about voting in Oklahoma available at the state election board website: elections.ok.gov. And be sure to bookmark that page because that’s where you can follow the MAPS results after the polls close at 7 p.m. Dec. 10.