Both questions are statewide. The Oklahoma State Election Board says all registered voters are eligible to vote on state questions. Polls are scheduled to be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The deadline to request an absentee ballot for the August election was 5 p.m. Monday, August 10. Voters who did not request an absentee ballot by then should review the election board’s current voter resources and plan for an available in-person voting option.

What State Question 844 would do

SQ 844 would amend Article 10, Section 6B of the Oklahoma Constitution, which addresses property-tax exemptions used to encourage manufacturers to locate, expand or acquire facilities in Oklahoma.

The official ballot title says the measure would authorize the Legislature to establish the levels and methods for reimbursing local governments and other taxing entities for revenue lost because of a manufacturing exemption.

The affected entities can include school districts, counties, municipalities and other local taxing entities that receive reimbursement connected to those exemptions.

A yes vote on SQ 844 would not immediately end the manufacturing exemption or set a specific new reimbursement amount. It would create constitutional authority for the Legislature to establish a future reimbursement framework. The practical effects would depend on later legislation and implementation.

Why SQ 844 matters to schools and local governments

The central fiscal question is how much affected entities would receive and how the state would calculate those payments.

Fiscal materials associated with the proposal indicate that reimbursement could be capped at the property’s pre-exemption tax level. Those materials also indicate that state reimbursement could be lower than under current law, depending on the system lawmakers adopt.

That does not establish a guaranteed funding reduction for any particular school district, county, city or other local entity. A specific local effect would depend on subsequent legislation, the property’s tax history and the way the new reimbursement method is applied.

What State Question 846 would do

SQ 846 would add a section to Article 3 of the Oklahoma Constitution requiring proof of identity in elections conducted by county election boards or the State Election Board.

The proposal would apply to authorized voting methods and would direct the Legislature to enact laws specifying the requirements for proof of identity. The official ballot title says the measure would have no fiscal impact.

SQ 846 does not itself list the acceptable forms of identification. The Legislature would retain responsibility for defining those requirements.

How SQ 846 differs from current Oklahoma law

Oklahoma already requires proof of identity for voters casting ballots in person at a precinct polling place or during early voting at a county election board.

Under current rules, voters may use qualifying government-issued photo identification. The document must be issued by the United States, Oklahoma or a federally recognized tribal government and generally must include the voter’s name, photograph and an expiration date after the election, unless it is valid indefinitely.

Voters also may use the free voter-identification card issued by their county election board. That card does not include a photograph.

A voter who does not have identification or declines to show it may cast a provisional ballot and sign a sworn affidavit. County election officials investigate the information after Election Day before deciding whether the ballot qualifies for counting under the applicable verification rules.

So a yes vote on SQ 846 would not create a new voter-ID process beginning August 25. The current statutory process remains operative unless lawmakers later change it. The proposed amendment would move the proof-of-identity requirement into the Constitution while leaving detailed requirements to future legislation.

What voters should know before August 25

All registered Oklahoma voters may vote on both state questions, regardless of party affiliation. Other contests on a runoff ballot may have separate eligibility rules.

The runoff is scheduled for Tuesday, August 25, with polling places open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The absentee-ballot request deadline passed on August 10. Voters should confirm their registration, polling place and ballot information through the Oklahoma State Election Board’s voter resources.

Voters casting an in-person ballot should bring accepted photo identification, their free county voter-identification card or be prepared to use the provisional-ballot affidavit process if necessary.

Sources

• Oklahoma State Election Board: State Questions
• KGOU/Oklahoma Watch: What to know about SQ 846

The board also lists two additional state questions as qualified for the Nov. 3, 2026, election. The August vote is the next identified statewide decision date for the first pair of qualified questions.

The available official information confirms the number of qualified questions and their election dates. It does not identify the titles or full text of the two questions on the Aug. 25 ballot, so the policy changes voters will be asked to consider cannot be described from the approved material.

Two election dates, four qualified questions

The State Election Board’s state-question information page separates the qualified measures into two groups: two for Aug. 25 and two for Nov. 3.

That means the August questions and the November questions are on separate election schedules. The board identifies Aug. 25 as the date for the first group and Nov. 3 as the date for the second group.

Qualification establishes that a question is listed for an election. It does not establish how voters will decide it, whether it will be approved or rejected, or what effect a measure would have if approved.

For the two August questions, the next known step in the available record is the Aug. 25 statewide election. The two November questions remain listed for the Nov. 3 election.

How state questions reach the ballot

The State Election Board says state questions can include initiatives, referendums and legislative referendums filed with the Oklahoma Secretary of State. Those are the types of measures covered by the board’s state-question process.

The approved source material does not specify which of those paths applies to either August question. It likewise does not provide the individual filings needed to determine the measures’ subjects, ballot language or proposed changes.

As a result, there is no confirmed basis in the available material to describe the questions as being about a particular area of state policy. There is also no confirmed information about supporters, opponents, projected costs, fiscal effects or campaign arguments.

Part of Oklahoma’s 2026 election calendar

The ballot questions will appear during Oklahoma’s 2026 election cycle, which also includes statewide offices, legislative seats and a statewide ballot measure, according to an Associated Press election overview.

The AP lists contests for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, treasurer, state superintendent of public instruction, labor commissioner, insurance commissioner and corporation commissioner. Legislative contests are also part of the election cycle described in the report.

The State Election Board is the more specific source for the qualified-question count and the Aug. 25 and Nov. 3 dates. Its listing identifies two qualified questions for each election date.

The state questions are a separate matter from the governor’s public-school spending review referenced in the broader story context. The approved material does not support linking either August ballot question to that review.

What remains unknown

Oklahoma voters will have the opportunity to decide the qualified August questions on Aug. 25, but the available official summary does not establish what either measure would do. Without titles, text or individual state-question records, the measures’ practical consequences cannot be independently assessed from this packet.

It also remains unknown from the provided material whether either question has a fiscal impact, which groups may support or oppose it, or how voters may respond. Those are distinct questions from qualification, which is the procedural status confirmed by the election board.

For now, the verified development is limited but significant for the statewide ballot: two questions are qualified for Aug. 25, followed by two more qualified questions scheduled for Nov. 3.

The State Election Board says polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day. Voters who want to cast an absentee ballot must submit their request by 5 p.m. Monday, August 10.

Key Oklahoma runoff deadlines

• Voter registration or updates: Friday, July 31
• Absentee-ballot request: 5 p.m. Monday, August 10
• Early voting: Thursday and Friday, August 20-21, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Saturday early voting: August 22, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Election Day: Tuesday, August 25, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The August election is a statewide runoff primary, not the November general election. The State Election Board’s current election list shows statewide contests including governor, superintendent of public instruction, labor commissioner, insurance commissioner and U.S. senator. Legislative, county, school, municipal and other local contests vary by county and precinct.

What will be on the ballot

Every voter should check the official sample ballot for their precinct rather than assume that all Oklahoma voters will see the same contests. The State Election Board’s August election list includes statewide and congressional contests, along with legislative, district, county, school and municipal elections in particular areas.

Two state questions are scheduled for the August 25 election: State Question 844 and State Question 846. All registered voters are eligible to vote on state questions, regardless of party affiliation.

Party affiliation determines access to partisan runoffs

Oklahoma uses a modified closed-primary system, including for runoff elections. To participate in a political party’s primary or runoff primary, a voter generally must be registered with that party unless the party opens its election to unaffiliated voters. Oklahoma recognizes the Republican, Democratic and Libertarian parties.

No recognized political party has authorized Independent voters to participate in its 2026 or 2027 primary or runoff elections. Registering by July 31 therefore does not allow an Independent voter to select a party runoff ballot for the August election.

Independent voters and other eligible registered voters may still vote in nonpartisan contests and on questions that appear on the ballot. The State Election Board says those elections can include state questions as well as county or municipal elections.

How Oklahoma voters can act

Voters should verify their registration information before the July 31 deadline, especially if they have moved, changed their name or need to confirm their party affiliation. The official OK Voter Portal can be used to check registration, view a sample ballot and find a polling place.

Voters choosing absentee voting should submit their request before the 5 p.m. August 10 deadline. Those voting early in person can use the August 20-22 schedule, with shorter hours on Saturday.

After the registration deadline, the next major statewide dates are the absentee request deadline on August 10, early voting from August 20 through August 22 and Election Day on August 25. County election boards remain the source for county-specific contests, polling locations and ballot details.

Sources

• Oklahoma State Election Board election page
• August 2026 List of Elections

For Mead households trying to avoid a Tuesday schedule conflict, that narrow window matters. The Oklahoma State Election Board says early voting locations are open Thursday and Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mead voters should use Bryan County election guidance before heading out.

What Mead voters should know

The Bryan County Election Board handles election logistics for the county, including voter registration records, absentee voting records, polling places, and election administration. If you are new to the area, recently moved, or planning around work, childcare, or travel, the county board is the place to confirm where and how to vote.

What is on the ballot

One item that applies to every voter is State Question 832. The state election board says it will appear on every ballot regardless of party registration, so voters who are not taking part in a party primary will still see the question.

In plain terms, SQ 832 is a statewide minimum-wage proposal. If approved, it would gradually raise Oklahoma’s minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2029, with future increases tied to cost-of-living changes. That makes the measure relevant to workers, small-business owners, parents, and anyone budgeting around wages and prices.

The ballot question is not a new wage law yet. It is a proposal waiting on voter approval. If early voting does not fit, Tuesday, June 16, is the final day to vote in the June election.

Sources

• Oklahoma State Election Board — Early voting begins for June 16 election
• Bryan County Election Board
• KXII — Oklahoma primary elections: what voters need to know
• KGOU — What to know about State Question 832

If you wait for Election Day, Mead’s precinct is 70025 and the polling place is Mead Baptist Church, 321 South Church Street, Mead. Polls are open June 16 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Who can vote in the primary

Oklahoma uses modified closed primaries. In practice, you generally must be registered with a political party to vote in that party’s primary or runoff primary unless the party opens the contest to unaffiliated voters, known as Independents. For the 2026-2027 election years, no recognized party has authorized Independent voters to participate in its primaries.

That means party races are limited by registration status, but all eligible voters can still vote on nonpartisan items on the primary ballot, including state questions.

What State Question 832 would do

State Question 832 is still a proposal on the June 16 ballot. The ballot title says it would raise Oklahoma’s minimum wage from $9 per hour in 2025 to $15 per hour in 2029, then tie future increases to inflation beginning in 2030.

If you are heading out to vote, check your registration and party status first so you go to the right place and know which parts of the ballot you can vote on.

Sources

• Bryan County Election Board precincts page
• Oklahoma State Election Board early voting locations
• Oklahoma State Election Board 2026 Voter Information Calendar