Voters in 68 of Oklahoma’s 77 counties are heading to the polls Tuesday to consider school bonds, school board and other municipal elections.

Polls for the special election open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. To find your polling place and view a sample ballot, visit Oklahoma’s voter portal.

Here are some of the races we're monitoring:

Piedmont Public Schools bond

The Piedmont Public School District has a nearly $113 million dollar bond package on the ballot, addressing growth in the area.

More than half of that funding — $60.8 million — would be dedicated to constructing an additional elementary and an additional intermediate school.

Additional money would support a new safe room at Stone Ridge Elementary School, improvements for the band programs, more buses, district-wide playground updates and additional bleachers at the football stadium.

The bond would be paid off over a period of 11 years, and district officials say there is no proposed tax increase.

More information can be found here.

Guthrie sales tax extension

Guthrie residents will vote whether to extend an existing sales tax for municipal improvements over the next 15 years. Since voters first approved it in 2016, the Capital Improvement Projects sales tax has collected 3/4s of a penny on every dollar spent in the city.

The sales tax extension is expected to fund water and sewer improvements, a new fire and emergency medical services station, increased ADA accessibility throughout the city, a new municipal pool and the expansion of Owen Field Sports Complex.

More information on the proposition can be found here.

Guymon Public Schools bond

Guymon Public Schools seeks approval of two bonds. The first is for nearly $37 million, the majority of which will fund a new 3rd and 4th grade center. The current center is about 80 years old, and district officials say it has structural and foundational issues, an outdated electrical system and lacks adequate classrooms, restrooms and gym space. Additional funds would cover technology improvements and the demolition of Northeast Elementary, Salyer Elementary and part of Academy Elementary.

Passage of the bond would result in an increase in property taxes, to the tune of $10.42 per month for a property valued at $100,000. If the bond passes with the required 60% supermajority, the new building is expected to be ready by August 2026.

A similar, but bigger, bond failed in 2021, with 57% of voters rejecting it.

The second bond on the ballot Tuesday is for $1.25 million to fund new school activity buses, route buses and SUVs.

Enid city council member recall

Voters in one of Enid’s six city council districts will decide whether to keep current City Commissioner Judd Blevins despite his associations with white nationalist groups.

Blevins, who was elected to the Enid City Council’s Ward 1 last year, has acknowledged attending a 2017 white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. He was there alongside neo-Nazis and members of the Ku Klux Klan to protest the removal of a Confederate statue.

Blevins also acted as the Oklahoma coordinator for white nationalist group Identify Evropa, according to reporting by Right Wing Watch.

A self-described “movement of concerned citizens” called Enid Social Justice Committee has led the push to recall Blevins. They gathered enough signatures to bring it to a vote on April 2.

If voters recall Blevins, his seat will be filled by Cheryl Patterson. Although Enid City Commissioners are non-partisan, both candidates say they’re Republicans.

More information on the recall attempt can be found here.

• People living in the Enid Public Schools district will also vote on a $10.8 million school bond package that will fund technology, security and transportation needs. More than half of those funds — $6.3 million — will be spent on new Chromebooks and iPads to replace aging technology used in classrooms in every grade level. The 9-year bond would raise property taxes in the district, with an expected cost increase of $3.45 per month for a home valued at $100,000.

Bartlesville charter changes

Bartlesville voters will see 10 propositions on their ballot that concern changing the city’s charter. The changes include the length city councilors can serve — from two years to three years — and when council elections take place, moving from November to a less-heavily voted April election date.

Other proposals include changing the time limit on recalls of city councilors, establishing residency requirements for city councilors, and changing the purchasing process for the city.

More information on the proposition can be found here.

More Elections

Luther Public Schools voters will consider a nearly $29 million bond proposal to fund safe rooms at the middle school, elementary school and Pre-K. The middle school safe room will also be a new cafeteria, and the elementary school safe room will also be a media center. Bond passage is expected to increase property taxes by 4.81% annually. A similar, but larger, bond issue failed last fall, falling short of the required supermajority. Luther voters also rejected bond projects in 2015 and 2019.

Chouteau-Mazie Public Schools in Northeastern Oklahoma seeks approval of a nearly $13 million school bond package that will focus largely on school safety and security. Funding will go toward a new classroom building and storm shelter, expansion of the early childhood center, and parking improvements at the early childhood center and gymnasium. Officials say approval will not raise property taxes, as it will act as an extension of a bond passed in 2013.

Woodward Public Schools seeks approval of a $5 million bond for new school buses and other student transportation equipment. District officials say they spend about $250,000 in repairs every year for a fleet that is, on average, 15 years old. Woodward Superintendent Rusty Puffinbarger told Enid News & Eagle the bond will act as an extension of an existing bond and result in no new property taxes for residents in the district.

Kellyville Public Schools near Tulsa seeks approval of a $4 million bond package to replace a 22-year-old roof at the high school, add sidewalks and ramps from the middle school to the shop building and agriculture barn and provide new instruments for the band. Additional funds would pay for installation of artificial turf at the football, baseball and softball fields.

Norman Ward 2 voters will decide between Russell Rice and Matt Peacock in a city council runoff election. Rice is an electrician and co-founder of a nonprofit that provides on-demand transportation for persons experiencing homelessness in Norman. Peacock, the owner of a local architecture and design firm, has been serving on the city council as the Ward 8 representative but ran for this seat due to redistricting. The two candidates were the top vote getters in the February election, but neither got the majority of votes.

Voters can learn more about this election by visiting their local election board or by seeing a sample ballot on their voter portal on the State Election Board website.