Don't vote yet

By World's Editorial Writers - 11/3/2009


If your calendar says today is election day, don't believe it.

Tulsa's municipal general election, when a new mayor, several city council seats, the city auditor and three charter change proposals will be considered, isn't until next Tuesday — Nov. 10.

Many calendars — and a lot of people — assume that election day is the first Tuesday in November, and sometimes that's the case.

Under state law, the November election in even-numbered years is held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday. That would be Nov. 3, if 2009 were an even-numbered year, but it isn't.

The same state law says that in odd-numbered years, municipal elections held in November will be held on the second Tuesday of the month, which would be next Tuesday.

Confused? You're not the only one.

Pity the poor Tulsa County Election Board, which has been fielding calls about the issue for several days now. No doubt, the fevered pitch of the Tulsa mayor's race and those pesky calendars will have the phones ringing all day at the election board on Tuesday.

All of this re-emphasizes the need for the city to reorganize its election days. On the ballot — the Nov. 10 ballot — will be a poorly considered proposal that would result in a city general election every November with primaries every September, an expensive plan for an annual election cycle, which would result in the city not being allowed to use state election machines or poll workers for its primaries in odd-numbered years.

After that charter change is defeated on Nov. 10, the city needs to take a deep breath and reorganize its election schedule along rational lines. All elections should be held in even-numbered years with dates corresponding with the state's election cycle. That will be cheaper for the city and will ensure higher voter participation.

But that's an issue for another day. Right now, we're worried about all those voters who are trying to participate a week early.


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Tulsa World Reader Comments
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andy33, Tulsa (11/3/2009 7:39:07 AM)
You mean we have another week of this silliness? How can any candidate who spends so much time trashing his opponent possibly represent this city in a job with so much required finesse and diplomacy?

Loophole, (11/3/2009 8:36:04 AM)
It's hard enough to get the voters out without some hairbrained law setting elections on different days depending on "even" or "odd" years. What idiot introduced this one?

Anastasia, (11/3/2009 9:17:39 AM)
What's even better is, none of this information is on the state election board's website. Nothing about when to vote and no link to state election law. As someone who has only been in this state for a few years, I can honestly say, I feel a good number of the laws in this state, such as this election law, were written by those who did not have enough chlorine in the gene pool.

Mar, Tulsa (11/3/2009 10:56:20 AM)
We should be voting tomorrow, not the following Tuesday. I will be voting No to the suggested change of elections.

Royce, Tulsa (11/3/2009 11:24:36 AM)
Happily we have another week to go. Take note of today's gubernatiorial race in New Jersey. Nobody except the African Americans and the Welfare Recipients wants Corzine. Corzine is being challenged by Chris Christie, the Republican and Chris Daggett, the Independent. Daggett and Christie together command a double digit lead in the polls but Daggett's share is some 15% or more. If Daggett weren't in the race Christie would blow Corzine out of the water. As it is, it's not unlikely that Corzine will garner a slim plurality of the votes cast today. In other words voting for Daggett could well elect Corzine. Perhaps Tulsans should remember New Jersey. Voting for Perkins, who doesn't stand a chance to be elected, might well elect one of the major party candidates whom you don't want.

Dingle, (11/3/2009 11:48:34 AM)
Oops, I went to Harwelden earlier to vote, I was wondering what was up thanks.

senor notas, Tulsa (11/3/2009 3:01:08 PM)
Can the, or will the, mind numbed idiots in OKC, i.e. the Legislature please fix this? Where are our Tulsa reps and sens? C'mon folks, this is ludicrous.

Rand, (11/3/2009 6:14:13 PM)
This seemingly stupid law is actually another brilliant product of Progressive thinking. A great way to ensure that only the "right" people show up to vote is to hold the election on a date one week after everyone thought it was going to be held. Now that the "wrong" people are daring to show up and cast their ballots in these oddly scheduled elections, and are often voting in ways directly the opposite of how the World has told them to vote, the World wants to change the system. Go figure!

jimbym, Tulsa (11/5/2009 11:11:14 PM)
The strange election day isn't a "Progressive" thing or a "Conservative" thing as some of the other posters accusatorily insist. But I don't see what Tulsa (or Oklahoma) has to be different from everyone else in the country on this issue. It would make more sense for everyone for the state to run on the same election cycle as the rest of the (majority of the) country.



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