Tuesday, November 5, 2024

OBA partners with State Election Board to aid absentee voters

The Oklahoma Bankers Association, along with the Community Bankers of Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Credit Union Association, is partnering with the State Election Board to encourage the state’s financial institutions to aid absentee voters this election season.

The OBA is asking its banks to provide one or more of the following services for free to absentee voters this year:

• Drive-thru notarization of absentee ballot affidavits.
• Lobby notarization of absentee ballot affidavits.
• Drive-thru ID photocopy.
• Lobby ID photocopy.
*Note: Valid forms of identification are federal, state or tribal photo ID or voter identification card issued by a county election board.

“The State Election Board approached us to see if we would be willing to aid the state’s absentee voters this election season, and we enthusiastically agreed,” OBA Executive Vice President/Government Relations Adrian Beverage said. “We felt it would be a great opportunity to show how our banks are civic leaders in their communities and the state, and be a wonderful, much-needed public service.”

With the first elections of the season taking place later this month, the program will move quickly. The State Election Board will maintain a website that lists, by county, participating financial institutions and services provided by the institution. It will start with a preliminary list but will update as information is received from institutions willing to participate. The website will launch Friday, with a public announcement by the State Election Board, in conjunction with the OBA, the CBAO and the OCUA.

Financial institutions (including each branch location) that participate should complete a short questionnaire and submit to the State Election Board with location, hours and free absentee services to be provided. The questionnaire can be downloaded by clicking here.

The State Election Board will also provide PDFs of posters and informational flyers for financial institutions to display or distribute, if desired, as well as a one-page information sheet for notaries at the institutions. Additionally, all employees of those financial institutions can simply refer any questions regarding absentee voting to their local county election board or the State Election Board.

If you have any questions about this program, you can contact Adrian Beverage at the OBA (405-424-5252), or Pam Slater, director of support services at the State Election Board (405-521-2391). Also, the OBA will host a conference call for our bankers at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, which will include members of the State Election Board to answer questions.

OBA Tuesday Teams Call
Click here to join Microsoft Teams Meeting
Conference ID: 774 573 059#

— OR —

You can join the meeting by dialing through your phone via the number below:
+1 405-666-0236
Conference ID: 774 573 059#