Voters in 25 Oklahoma counties will head to the polls Tuesday to cast their ballots in elections for legislative seats, school bonds and sales taxes. Early voting began on Thursday and will continue through Friday.

To view a sample ballot and find your polling location, visit the OK Voter Portal.

The Senate seat in District 8 was left open after former Sen. Roger Thompson, R-Okemah, resigned last summer. Six weeks before filing his resignation, he had been removed as chairman of the Senate Appropriations and Budget Committee. However, he told the nonprofit news outlet NonDoc he resigned to pursue business interests.

Now, three candidates have advanced to the general election to fill his position: Republican Bryan Logan, Democrat Nathan Brewer and independent Steve Sanford.

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Logan, of Paden, won out in a Republican field of six candidates — five actively campaigning — in the primary. He has spent the last 20 years running a construction and carpentry business. He also serves in various leadership positions across sectors, such as American Farmers and Ranchers Insurance Okfuskee County Chapter Board, where he is president of the County and local #462 units. Logan is campaigning as a Christian conservative, stating his opposition to abortion. He also supports increasing teacher pay.

Brewer, of Henryetta, is running on a personal platform. In 2023, he lost his daughter, Brittany, to a murder-suicide committed by a man previously convicted of rape. The tragedy drove him to advocacy, and he has spent the past two years pushing for the passage of Knight’s Law. The bill would ensure individuals convicted of specific sex crimes against children have to serve their full sentences. However, despite being considered in the past two legislative sessions, the bill has not seen success. If elected, Brewer aims to pass it.

Other than passing Knight’s Law, Brewer wants to improve access to health care in rural areas.

Sanford, of Henryetta, brands himself as a “people over politics” candidate who is not aligned with either of the two major parties. On Facebook, he has discussed his support for the First and Second Amendments, as well as his dismay at Oklahoma’s 49th in the nation ranking in public education. He has also promised to advocate for infrastructure in rural communities.

GOP voters will choose between two frontrunners after last month’s primary for the open seat in House District 74. Sheila Vancuren and Kevin Norwood emerged as the top Republican candidates in a five-person field.

Vancuren, of Owasso, is the wife of the seat’s previous holder. Former Rep. Mark Vancuren, R-Owasso, left the position before the legislative session began to serve as deputy county commissioner to Lonnie Sims in Tulsa.

One of Vancuren’s top priorities is education, and according to her website, she wants to work to reduce class sizes and ensure students have access to a breadth of extracurricular activities. Many of her other priorities reflect national-level Republican goals, like curbing illegal immigration and ending gender-affirming health care for transgender minors. It is currently illegal for doctors to provide gender-affirming treatments to youth in Oklahoma.

Norwood, also of Owasso, is a youth minister. He is an active community volunteer who earned the Keep Oklahoma Beautiful Environmental Excellence Affiliate Champion designation for his work with Keep Owasso Beautiful. Norwood is endorsed by the state’s 2nd Amendment Association and Oklahoma Faith Leaders. He wants to reduce what he calls wasteful spending in the government, a popular Republican platform at the national and state levels.

The winner will face Democrat Amy Hossain on June 10.

Last month, Republican and Democratic voters in House District 71 voted in primaries for the district’s open seat. Democrat Amanda Clinton secured her spot in the general election, but two Republican candidates must battle it out in a runoff.

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Beverly Atteberry was the top candidate last month, almost earning the 50% threshold needed to bypass a runoff. She has a law firm specializing in will, probate and criminal law. She told Oklahoma Voice that her priorities include improving roads and public education to draw more businesses to the state.

Tania Garza works for Tulsa Remote, a program funded by the George Kaiser Family Foundation that offers $10,000 grants to remote workers who relocate to Tulsa. In her role, she helps new residents connect with opportunities to be involved in the Tulsa community. She is part of The League of Women Voters and Tulsa's Young Professionals, among other organizations. Her platforms include strengthening infrastructure quality.

Former Rep. Amanda Swope, D-Tulsa, left the seat open late last year when she took a new role as the City of Tulsa’s director of tribal policy and partnerships under Mayor Monroe Nichols.

Several school districts have proposed bonds to fund new projects and renovations for their students. To pass, they need a thumbs up from at least 60% of voters.

Separately, several cities are angling to pass sales taxes to pay for their development. Here are a few of the proposals KOSU is watching:

• Silo Public Schools in Bryan County is proposing a $52.6 million plan to construct a new high school. The district expects its enrollment to pass 1,400 students in the coming year and is planning for the growth. It has passed bond issues in 2023, 2024 and 2025 already. If the latest bond were approved, it would increase the millage rate in the area by 18%.

• Tahlequah is proposing a half-cent sales tax through 2030 to fund road improvements.

• Residents of Spavinaw will vote to increase funding for a one-man police department. There are two options: a 0.25% increase or a 1% increase. Mayor Amanda Miller told News on 6 that, after the smaller increase was proposed, residents asked for a higher option to offer the department more support.