Election night, the Tulsa World's newsroom shared updates as the votes were counted in national state, county and city elections, as well as two state questions. Tuesday night on this page, we collected commentary from Editorials Editor Ginnie Graham and reports from the editors, writers and photographers working on Election Day. Those included reports from the two Tulsa mayor watch parties and our Capitol Bureau in Oklahoma City.
Oklahoma and Texas would be the only states in the region that do not allow sports betting if Missouri passes law
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A statewide amendment legalizing sports betting in Missouri was passing as of 10:15 p.m. Tuesday. With 51% of the vote in, Missouri Amendment 2 was passing with 53.6% voting yes and 46.4% voting no, according to unofficial election returns. The measure would legalize sports betting in the Show-me State, and it had the backing of all major sports franchises located there, including the Chiefs and Royals in Kansas City, and the Cardinals and Blues in St. Louis.
Monroe Nichols is Tulsa's new mayor
“If there is anyone out there who still questions if Tulsa is a place where big things are possible, if there is anybody out there who doubts you can make an impact, tonight you got your answer. More Tulsans cast a vote in this year’s mayor's race than in any other in our city’s history … they did it because they understand the work of building a strong city is the work of all of us. It’s been a long time coming, and tonight, we made history.” — Monroe Nichols
One state question passes while the other fails
9:29 p.m.: Oklahoma voters strongly favored passage of a state question that sought to ensure that only American citizens will be allowed to vote in state elections. As of 9 p.m., well more than 1 million voters, more than 81% who turned out, had cast ballots in favor of passing State Question 834, while about 228,600, nearly 19%, had voted against it.
How candidates know winners before Election Board
9:11 p.m.: A few minutes ago, Tulsa City Councilor Laura Bellis announced on her social media that incumbent councilor Lori Decter Wright won the District 7 race over challenger Eddie Huff. But, the Election Board shows only 7 out of 20 precincts of that district reporting. How can that be? Runners. Each precinct will post the winners of races on the ballots cast at those locations. Candidates, especially in local races with few precincts involved, will have people – aka, runners – go to the precincts and wait for results. That’s how candidates find out if they won before the results are posted by the Oklahoma Election Board.
Tulsa City Council results show leads for Anthony Archie, Lori Decter Wright and Carol Bush
9:01 p.m.: Archie is at 55% against Stephanie Reisdorph with 5 of 15 precincts reporting. Decter Wright is at 56% against Eddie Huff with 7 of 20 precincts reporting.
U.S. Rep. Kevin Hern and Oklahoma State University President Dr. Kayse Shrum stand for the national anthem as officials celebrate a construction milestone for the Veterans Hospital in Tulsa in August. Kevin Hern at 60% with almost half of the precincts reporting over Dennis Baker
Mayoral candidate Monroe Nichols signs for his ballot on Election Day at the Centennial Center Auditorium in Tulsa. Monroe Nichols lead is growing over Karen Keith for Tulsa mayor
At the Republican Watch Party in Broken Arrow
Brian Guthrie talks with others at the Republican Watch Party in Broken Arrow. Guthrie, a former Bixby mayor, is going against former state Rep. Karen Gaddis in the state Senate District 25 race. Christi Gillespie, center, watching the election coverage at the Republican Watch Party in Broken Arrow on Tuesday night. Gillespie is running against Democrat Bob Willis in the state Senate District 33 race. Will Tulsans have a new congressman?
7:50 p.m.: In Congress, incumbent Rep. Kevin Hern has a tight race with Dennis Baker after the absentee mail and early voting ballots were counted. Hern is up 49% to Baker's 47%. Randy Krehbiel wrote earlier that beating an Oklahoma incumbent member of Congress can be a tough row to hoe, especially if you’re not a Republican.
Tulsa County race for president is different early than the rest of Oklahoma
Oklahoma is still red for Trump
Monroe Nichols out to early lead as votes trickle in
Karen Keith arrives to her watch party
Tulsa mayoral candidate Karen Keith, left, speaks with Louann Buhlinger during her election night watch party. An election anthem written by Woody Guthrie
5:47 p.m.: In this city that holds and keeps the legacy of Woody Guthrie alive, this live version of “This Land is your Land” from Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings ought to be today’s Tulsa anthem. The video was shared by a devoted reader with some Tulsa World staff members as an inspiration for Election Night. It’s worth a listen. For those who aren’t familiar with the song’s history, the lyrics were written by populist Oklahoma native Guthrie in 1940 in response to Irving Berlin’s “God Bless America” with a melody based on a Carter Family song “When the World’s on Fire.” He put it away until 1944 when he released a version without two lyrics viewed as critical of the U.S. Those have since been located. The brilliance of the song lies in how the words are patriotic and rebellious by embracing themes of inclusion, equality and the working man. Enjoy this R&B version that brings just the right emotion it needs on this Election Day. “This land was made for you. This land was made for me.”
Are Oklahomans going to break any of these election records?
4:52 p.m.: I dug into the stats and offer these records that could be broken tonight. Reports of long lines from midtown to Oologah have come in as people wait up to two hours to vote. * Most votes statewide in a single election is 1,560,699 for president in the 2020. * That election also saw the most votes for a state question: 1,492,593 on SQ 814 (Legislative referendum raiding TSET defeated.) * Votes cast in Aug. 25, 2020, Tulsa mayoral election: 70,820. * Votes cast in June 27, 2016, Tulsa mayoral election: 58,848. * Votes cast in Nov. 12, 2013 mayoral election: 72,273. Turnout was said to be the highest since at least 2002, so this is likely the high-point for a Tulsa mayoral election. This is the furthest back results are readily available. * Donald Trump got just over 65% statewide in both 2016 and 2020. His share in Tulsa County declined slightly. * Al Gore, who carried nine counties in 2000, is the last Democrat to carry any counties in Oklahoma. * Republican George W. Bush in 2004 received the most votes ever for a presidential candidate in Tulsa County: 163,452. * John McCain received 158,363 (62.2%) in 2008, when Tulsa County totaled 254,496. * Donald Trump carried Tulsa County by a little less than 42,000 votes in 2020 while getting 56.5%; he carried it by 57,000 votes in 2016 while getting 58.4%. * Joe Biden received almost 109,000 votes and 41% in Tulsa County in 2020. Both were the most for a Democrat since at least 2000. * Most votes in a presidential election in Tulsa County: 266,678 in 2020. Donald Trump, R 150,574 56.5% Jo Jorgenson, L 4,859 1.8% Joe Biden, D 108,996 40.9% Jade Simmons, I 712 .3% Kanye West, I 907 .4% Brock Pierce, I 453 .2% Votes cast in 2016 presidential election in Tulsa County: 247,054. Donald Trump, R 144,258 58.4% Gary Johnson, L 14,949 6.0% Hillary Clinton, D 87,847 35.6%
Election cake recipe if you are in the mood
If you really want to live as the Founders intended on this Election Day, then go eat cake! Author A.J. Jacobs in his book “The Year of Living Constitutionally” recounted how Election Day, even pre-Revolutionary War, was a party including parades and alcohol: “When George Washington ran for the Virginia Legislature in 1758, he provided voters with 28 gallons of rum, 50 gallons of rum punch, 34 gallons of wine, 46 gallons of beer and 2 gallons of hard cider. He won the election with more than 300 well-lubricated votes.” Also, voters got cake. On Jacobs’ Substack blog,
he explained the tradition: “The idea was to celebrate this amazing, awe-inspiring new right to choose their own leaders. It was a delicious reminder: Democracy is sweet.” The election cake recipe found in the
1796 “American Cookery” by Amelia Simmons doesn’t look so sweet but does look massive and complicated.
“Thirty quarts flour, ten pounds butter, fourteen pounds sugar, twelve pounds raisins, three dozen eggs, one pint wine, one quart brandy, four ounces cinnamon, four ounces fine colander seed, three ounces ground alspice; wet the flour with the milk to the consistency of bread over night, adding one quart yeast, the next morning work the butter and sugar together for half an hour, which will render the cake much lighter and whiter; when it has risen light, work in every other ingredient except the plumbs, which work in when going into the oven.” Jacobs tried out the original recipe: “My son Zane and I made a small version of that recipe and it wasn’t bad. Tasted like participatory democracy! Actually, the spices made it taste vaguely like Worcestershire sauce.”
Abortion referendums to be decided today in states
2:55 p.m.: Many Oklahomans are watching closely pro-abortion referendums across several states including Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada and South Dakota. One of particular interest is in Missouri for its proximity to Oklahoma and similar political landscape. Like Oklahoma, Missouri had trigger laws that went into effect after the Dobbs decision overturned Roe V. Wade in 2022 that banned all abortions except for the case of a medical emergency. More than 380,000 Missouri citizens signed an initiative petition to get Constitutional Amendment 3, or Right to Reproductive Freedom Initiative, on the ballot to reverse those bans. Polling indicates support for the measure. An
Emerson College poll found 58% of those surveyed support Amendment 3, and 30% opposed. A St. Louis University
/YouGov Poll found that 52% in support and 34% opposed. Last week, the
Missouri Independent reported that the campaign behind the amendment, Missourians for Constitutional Freedom, raised more than $30.9 million since launching the effort in 2023. Most of the money came from out-of-state groups not required to disclose donors. About six PACs urging voters to oppose the amendment raised about $3.2 million.
A "I Voted" sticker is stuck to the ground as a voter exits the building after voting early. The origin story of the 'I Voted' sticker
10:58 a.m.: The oval-shaped, American-flag waving “I Voted” sticker becomes a badge of honor on Election Day, proof of fulfilling an American civic responsibility. People take selfies wearing it and use it as evidence of voting for retailer discounts or get time off work to cast a ballot. The sticker was created in 1987 by Janet Boudreau, who was running the Seattle-based, family owned election supply business, Intab. The business wasn’t making much money so she created the sticker along with several new products
, she told the AARP magazine. The purpose was to remind voters of Election Day at a time before 24-hour news cycles. It’s evolved from being a get-out-the-vote product to being a conversation starter: “It's patriotism without any proclamation that is divisive,” Boudreau said. By 2000, the company was selling more than 100 million “I Voted” stickers in every midterm and general election year all states. Similar voting materials were previously created, such as buttons after women’s suffrage stating, "Under the 19th Amendment I Cast My First Vote,
Nov. 2nd, 1920 ." Voting stickers were made in Florida in the 1950s and voting-themed clothing emerged after the age to cast a ballot was lowered to 18 in 1971.
$1.8 billion bet on U.S. presidential election outcome, report says
10:01 a.m.: Going into Election Day, the international betting market is reporting $1.8 billion in bets on the U.S. presidential outcome, according to a report from Polymarket. But, as
journalist Brett Arends writes, betting odds and opinion polls are different beasts: “I started out a huge fan of political betting, because the bookies and the gamblers often had the election forecast right when the polls didn't. But over time I've grown more skeptical. These ‘betting markets’ have their own flaws as a forecasting tool and need to be taken with a grain of salt. That's because I've seen them proven massively wrong, even late in the day.” As evidence, Arends listed several big elections the oddsmakers got wrong including long odds (about 10/1) against the Brexit referendum winning in 2016 (it did) and several U.S. elections predictions. Some betting sites had John Kerry beating George Bush in 2004, Mitt Romney over Barack Obama in 2012 and Donald Trump over Joe Biden four years ago. Some of those odds were lopsided as Election Day unfolded because the way states report results.
Louis Graham casting his first vote. A proud mom moment
9:52 a.m.: This Election Day stands out differently for me because it’s the first time my son, Louis, and I cast a presidential ballot at the same time. We got up at 7 a.m., ready to exercise our fundamental American right. At Saint Dunstan’s Episcopal Church, 5635 71st St., two precincts are located within the same building. It was a bit cramped and confusing for some in figuring out which line to get in, but everyone was kind and understanding. Politics may have divided people in the past few months (or longer), but today voters in line were happy. We joked about the lines, talked about the weather and made general small talk. When finding out my son was casting his first vote for president, everyone congratulated and encouraged him. A few remembered when they first voted (going back to the 1968 Richard Nixon/Hubert Humphrey election). It was a warm feeling this morning. Precinct workers were just starting their 13-hour day and constantly moving. They were all about customer service, and everyone ought to be thanking them. As I stood in line, I remembered taking my son at age 4 to vote with me. He wore a superhero costume and asked everyone in line to vote for Captain America. It would be nice to have that option.
Voters wait in line Tuesday to cast their ballots at Philbrook Museum of Art. Things to know on Election Day
What time can I vote? Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
What does my ballot look like? Individualized sample ballots can be viewed anytime on the Oklahoma Voter Portal,
okvoterportal.okelections.gov . Sign-on requires only name and birthdate.
Who are the people named next to the presidential candidates on the Oklahoma ballot? Electors who actually elect the president of the United States. Where do I vote? That portal also gives you the name and address of where you will vote. Note: Many polling places have changed since the last presidential election, so check it before you stand in line.
Micah Hartwell and his daughter Emmaline, 7, wait in line Tuesday to vote at the Philbrook Museum of Art. What do I need to vote? Voting requires an approved identification, which includes the county-issued voter identification card and most government-issued photo IDs, such as an Oklahoma driver’s license, a passport or a veteran’s identification card. Some tribal-issued identification cards are also accepted.
What if I forget my ID? Those without identification or who are refused ballots for some other reason may request a provisional ballot for submission to the county election board for consideration.
What ballots should I be handed? Voters in the city of Tulsa receive two ballots: one for municipal elections, including mayor, and one for everything else, including president.
When do I need to send in my absentee ballot? Mailed ballots must be received by county election boards by 7 p.m. Tuesday. Mail ballots will not be accepted in person on Election Day.
What if I can't mail my absentee ballot in? Voters who requested mail ballots but did not mail them may vote in person at their precincts after affirming that they have not voted previously in the current election. Knowingly voting more than once in an election or attempting to vote fraudulently is a felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a $100,000 fine.
Do you have a voter guide? Yes, see everything on the ballot and Tulsa World coverage on each item. Mayoral Candidate Karen Keith votes: Tulsans will elect a new mayor on Nov. 5. They will decide between County Commissioner Karen Keith and state Rep. Monroe Nichols. Mayoral candidate Karen Keith casts her ballot Tuesday at the Philbrook Museum of Art. Mayoral candidate Monroe Nichols signs for his ballot on Election Day at the Centennial Center Auditorium in Tulsa. Sally Rippey, right, fills out her ballot on Election Day at the Philbrook Museum of Art. Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox!
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Related to this story
Complete, up-to-the-minute results for every contested race in the Nov. 5 general election.
The oval-shaped, American-flag waving “I Voted” sticker becomes a badge of honor on Election Day. Who first thought of it?
Voter Stefan Taitano takes a selfie with mayoral candidate Monroe Nichols as the two wait for their ballots at the Centennial Center Auditorium on Tuesday. Christi Gillespie, center, watching the election coverage at the Republican Watch Party in Broken Arrow on Tuesday night. Gillespie is running against Democrat Bob Willis in the state Senate District 33 race. Voters wait in line Tuesday to cast their ballots at Philbrook Museum of Art. Sally Rippey, right, fills out her ballot on Election Day at the Philbrook Museum of Art. Micah Hartwell and his daughter Emmaline, 7, wait in line Tuesday to vote at the Philbrook Museum of Art.
