Comanche County Election Board: What Lawton Voters Need to Know Before November

The Comanche County Election Board is getting ahead of the November election with a set of reminders for voters, and one of the biggest involves your phone. Ballot selfies are legal in Oklahoma, but you can’t share or post the image until you’ve left the polling place. It’s a small distinction with real consequences, and it’s exactly the kind of thing Election Board Secretary Amy Sims wants voters to hear now rather than at the door.

The rules go further than most people expect. Electioneering is prohibited within 300 feet of a polling place entrance, including anyone standing in line, and only election officials, registered voters, and minor children or dependents may be inside or within 50 feet of the entrance. Voters also can’t disclose how they voted while inside the polling place or remove a ballot from the site. And here’s one that catches people off guard: no alcohol of any kind within one-half mile of a polling place on Election Day.

Sims says unlawful activity at the polls is serious business and can result in misdemeanor or even felony charges, so if you suspect a violation, report it immediately to the election board or local law enforcement while it’s happening. Polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day. Know the boundaries, respect the other voters in line, and the process works the way it should. Have you voted in person in Comanche County before? Tell us how it went.