March 3 is “Super Tuesday” and Oklahoma voters will cast their ballots for the respective presidential candidates for the Republican and Democrat parties.

Also on March 3, voters will vote on a proposal to allow liquor stores in Tulsa County to open on Sundays.

Six Republicans – including President Donald Trump – will be on that ballot in Oklahoma and 14 Democrats. However, six Democrats who qualified to be on the ballot in Oklahoma have suspended their campaigns.

Trump heads a list with five other Republicans who have virtually no name recognition and a negligible chance of winning Oklahoma.  Trump is seeking his second term in office.

On the Democrat side, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, a self-proclaimed Socialist, and former South Bend, Indiana, mayor Pete Buttigieg, were the top vote getters from the Iowa Caucus and the primary in New Hampshire. Sanders won the Nevada causus on Saturday.

Former Vice President Joe Biden is hoping for a strong showing in Super Tuesday to keep his hopes alive. The same is true for U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts

No independent, Libertarian or other third party candidates will be on the March 3 Super Tuesday Presidential Preferential Ballot in Oklahoma.

The other Super Tuesday states are Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont and Virginia, as well as American Samoa and the Democrats Abroad.

Seven counties – Cleveland, Creek, Kingfisher, Muskogee, Oklahoma and Washington and including Tulsa – will take a countywide vote on letting liquor stores be open on Sundays.

In 2016, Oklahomans voted to liberalize state liquor laws. Liquor store owners complained that this put them at a competitive disadvantage because grocery stores, drug stores, convenience stores and other retailers could sell beer and wine on Sundays and liquor stores could not.

Actually, some liquor store owners don’t want to be open on Sundays because they believe it will increase operating costs without an overall increase in sales. If passed, it would not require a liquor store to be open on Sundays.

Tulsa County Election Board Secretary Gwen Freeman said early voting will be available at the Election Board office, 555 N. Denver Ave., and Hardesty Library, 8316 E. 93rd St., from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on February 27 and 28; and from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on February 29.

On March 3, the polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Anyone in line at 7 p.m. will still be allowed to cast a ballot. You must show proof of identity – a valid photo ID card issued by federal, state or tribal government or the free voter identification card or vote a provisional ballot.

Voters who have moved since the last election and have not transferred their voter registration to the new address can do so on March 3 at their former polling place.

People can get information about their polling place and see a sample ballot at www.elections.ok.gov. Sample ballots are available at the Election Board office.

Republican Ballot

  • President Donald Trump.
  • Bob Ely, a former investment banker.
  • Zoltan G. Istvan, self-identified as a “transhumanist.”
  • Roque “Rocky” De La Fuente, a businessman who got less than 1% of the vote in 2016.
  • Matthew “Matt” John Matern, an attorney.
  • Joe Walsh, a talk radio host, suspended his campaign after getting less than 1% of the vote in the Iowa Republican caucuses but he will still be on the ballot in Oklahoma. 

Democrat Ballot

  • U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, Vermont, won the Oklahoma Democrat Primary in 2016 but lost the nomination to Hillary Clinton.
  • Former Vice President Joe Biden was elected twice (2008 and 2012) on the ticket with former President Barack Obama.
  • Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Massachusetts, who is from Oklahoma.
  • Former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, an Afghanistan war veteran who is married to another man.
  • Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Minnesota
  • U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, a major in the Hawaii National Guard.
  • Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who switched from Republican to Democrat, is a billionaire financing his own campaign.
  • Tom Steyer, a billionaire hedge fund manager, is also funding his campaign.

These candidates are on the ballot but have suspended their campaigns:

  • Michael Bennett, U.S. senator, Colorado.
  • U.S. Cory Booker, New Jersey.
  • Julián Castro, former Housing and Urban Development Secretary under Obama and former mayor of San Antonio.
  • Marianne Williamson, an activist and author.
  • Andrew Yang, entrepreneur, author and attorney.
  • Deval Patrick, former Massachusetts governor, who entered the race later.

(U.S. Sen Kamala Harris, California, qualified as a Democratic presidential candidate in Oklahoma, but withdrew in time to get her name taken off the ballot.)

Tulsa County Ballot

Proposition: Shall sales of alcoholic beverages on Sundays by retail spirits licensees be allowed in Tulsa County, Oklahoma?