McALESTER — Friday is the last day to apply for voter registration in order to be eligible to vote in the upcoming school board election in four school districts in Pittsburg County.

School board elections are set for Feb. 12 in the Frink-Chambers, Haileyville, Indianola and Savanna public school districts.

Board of education seats had also been open in the  Canadian, Crowder, Hartshorne, Haywood, Krebs, McAlester, Pittsburg and Tannehill school districts during the December filing period for the offices. However, candidates in those school districts were able to win the seats unopposed, since only one candidate filed for  positions in those school districts.

Those who need to register in time for the Feb. 12 election have until midnight Friday to do so.

Anyone who is a United States citizen, an Oklahoma resident and at least 18 years old may apply to become a registered voter.

Those who may register include:

• Anyone who is otherwise qualified but has never before registered to vote.

• Those who are not currently registered in the county where they reside.

• Anyone who needs to update voter registration information, to reflect a name change or change of address, for example.

Any of those may apply to register by  filling out and mailing an Oklahoma Voter Registration Application form in time for it to be postmarked no later than midnight Friday, said Pittsburg County Election Board Secretary Cathy Thornton.

Applications postmarked after midnight Friday still will be accepted and processed, but the applications will not be approved until after Feb. 12, according to Thornton.

Plans are for the county election board to issue a written response to everyone who submits an application for voter registration. It will be in the form of either a Voter Identification Card listing the new voter's precinct number and polling place location or a letter that explains the reason or reasons the application for voter registration was not approved, according to Thornton.

Anyone who has submitted a voter registration application and who has not received a response within 30 days should contact the county election board office, she said.

Oklahoma Voter Registration Application forms are available at the county election board office at 109 E. Carl Albert Pkwy., Room 101. Application forms are also available and at most post offices, tag agencies, and public libraries in the county.

Applications are also are available on the Internet at www.elections.ok.gov, according to Thornton.

Anyone needing  more information can phone the Pittsburg County Election Board office at 918-423-3877.

Meanwhile, the following races are set for the Feb. 12 election:

• Frink Chambers — Melinda Nix and Dhonda Vaughan both filed for a three-year term in Office No. 3.

• Haileyville — Lynette Price, Larry D. Morgan and D. Rena White all filed for a five-year term in Office No. 3.

• Indianola — Gabriel Patrick and Nanci  Battles are seeking a three-year term in Office No. 3.

• Savanna — Two races are set in the Savanna school district. Haskell Melton, John Green  and Randy Harmon are both running for an unexpired term in Office No. 1.

In the other race in the Savanna school district, Jimmie D. Davis II and Terry Ward are vying for a five-year term in Office No. 3.

In addition, Pittsburg County’s Precinct 20 at the Jo Nell Ray residence in the Arch area has the Clayton Public School as an affected school, Thornton said. Martina Hawkins, Crystal Fuller Bray and Brian Schumann are vying for Office 3 in the Clayton School District, Thornton said.

Also, four Pittsburg County precincts have the Stuart School District as an affected school. In the Stuart School District, Kevin Clifft and Steven Martin are running for Office 3.

Pittsburg County precincts with Stuart as an affected school include Precinct 21, at the Arpelar Nazarene Church; Precinct 23, at the Ashland Baptist Church: Precinct 48, at the Scipio Community Center and Precinct 49, at the Tannehill Fire Department, Thornton said.

Contact James Beaty at jbeaty@mcalesternews.com.