How to Find Out Who Is Running in Your Race

YOUR VOTE, OKLAHOMA | A nonpartisan voter education series from Thanks For Voting OK

This is part of the YOUR VOTE, OKLAHOMA series — a free, nonpartisan guide to voting for every Oklahoman. You can start at the beginning with What Is Voting and Why Does It Matter? or catch up with the previous articles in this series. New here? Welcome. No judgment. No assumptions. Let’s go.

By now, you know your districts. You have looked up what races are on your ballot. You know what a primary is, what a general election is, and how party affiliation works in Oklahoma.

But you probably have a question: Who actually filed to run?

A lot of people skip this step. They wait until they walk into the polling place, see a ballot full of names they have never heard of, and have to make a choice on the spot.

Do not do that.

Finding out who is running in your race takes 10 minutes. It removes almost all the anxiety from Election Day. And it means you can actually think about your choices instead of feeling overwhelmed and unprepared.

Let’s walk through exactly how to do it.

The Oklahoma State Election Board publishes an official list of every candidate who filed to run for office in 2026.

This is the most reliable source. It is not opinion or bias. It is just the facts: who filed, what office they are running for, and what party they are affiliated with.

You can find the complete candidate list in a document called the 2026 Candidate List Book. It is a PDF file that lists every single candidate by office and district.

Here is how to access it.

Step 1: Go to the Oklahoma State Election Board website at: 👉 https://oklahoma.gov/elections.html

Step 2: Look for a button or link labeled “2026 Candidate List Book” on the elections page.

Step 3: Click on the 2026 Candidate List Book button. This will open a PDF file.

Step 4: The PDF contains a complete list of all candidates organized by office type and district.

Once you have the PDF open, you can search through it or use the search function in your PDF reader to find the races that are on your ballot.

To find candidates in your State House race:

• Use the PDF search function (usually Ctrl+F or Cmd+F on your keyboard)

• Search for “State House District” followed by your district number (for example: “State House District 45”)

• The document will show you all candidates running in that district, organized by party

To find candidates in your State Senate race:

• Search for “State Senate District” followed by your district number

• See all candidates running in that race

To find candidates in your U.S. Congressional race:

• Search for “U.S. House District” followed by your district number (Oklahoma has districts 1 through 5)

• See all candidates running for Congress in your area

For statewide races (Governor, Attorney General, etc.):

• Search for the office name

• You will see all candidates running statewide

• Everyone in Oklahoma can vote in these races

For county races:

• Search for the county name followed by the office (for example: “Oklahoma County Assessor”)

• See all candidates running for that county office

The Candidate List Book shows:

For each candidate:

• Full name

• Party affiliation (Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, or Independent)

• The office they are running for

• The district (if applicable)

This is all the basic information. The Candidate List Book is designed to be straightforward — just the facts about who filed and what race they are running in.

Keep in mind: the Candidate List Book shows filing information only. It does not include:

• Campaign websites or social media

• News articles about the candidates

• Endorsements or support from organizations

• The candidates’ positions on specific issues

• Voting records (if they have held office before)

For deeper research — if you want to know a candidate’s positions on education, taxes, or other issues — you will need to look in other places. But the Candidate List Book is where you start to find out who is even running.

If you search for a race and only one candidate appears, that means no one else filed to run against them.

When only one person files for a race, that person wins automatically. They do not appear on any ballot in June or November. The race is over. That person is elected.

This happens in Oklahoma more often than you might think. In some districts, the same party has such a strong majority that no one from the other party even bothers to file. In those cases, the primary winner is basically the final winner.

The Candidate List Book is pretty long — it includes all candidates statewide. If you want, you can print out the pages that show your specific races. That way, you have a physical copy to reference when you are deciding how to vote.

Or you can just keep the PDF open on your computer or phone while you think about your choices.

The June 16 Primary is less than three weeks away. The absentee ballot request deadline is June 1 — that is just four days away.

If you want to vote by mail, you need to request your ballot now. But before you do, take 10 minutes and find out who you will be voting for.

Look up your races. Read the names. See if any of them are familiar. Check if any candidates have websites or contact information you can explore.

When you actually cast your ballot — whether by mail or in person — you will feel prepared. You will not be making choices based on alphabetical order or whoever’s name you recognize. You will be making informed decisions.

Go to the Oklahoma State Election Board website and download the 2026 Candidate List Book: 👉 https://oklahoma.gov/elections.html

Look for the button labeled “2026 Candidate List Book” and click it. Once the PDF opens, use the search function to find the races on your ballot.

It takes 10 minutes. It makes a huge difference.

Then, if you want to vote by mail, request your absentee ballot before June 1: 👉 https://oklahoma.gov/elections/ovp.html

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YOUR VOTE, OKLAHOMA is a nonpartisan voter education series. We do not support or oppose any candidate or political party. We just want more Oklahomans to vote.