Oklahomans voted Tuesday, November 3, in the 2026 midterm elections, with polls open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. statewide. Republican Mike Mazzei declared victory over Democrat Cyndi Munson in the governor's race, and Munson later conceded. Republican Robert Franklin won the State Superintendent race over Democrat Jennettie Marshall, according to AP projections. Voters also defeated State Questions 845 and 847. Technical problems in Cleveland and Comanche counties delayed some reporting, and the State Election Board has not said when it will resume. For complete results and continuing coverage, the live blog is the place to follow.
Oklahoma Republican lieutenant governor nominee T.W. Shannon, a former Speaker of the Oklahoma House, has shared an article on social media backing school choice, which would let families use taxpayer funding to pick educational alternatives to public school. He wrote that Oklahoma parents should have the freedom to put their kids in the best school possible and use their own tax dollars to do it. In responses to commenters, he reaffirmed his opposition to public schools. The Oklahoma Democratic Party pointed to efforts Shannon made to cut public education while in office. His Democratic opponent, Dr. Kelly Forbes, said Oklahoma's public schools are staffed by incredible people and called for reprioritizing how public education dollars are spent.
The Statewide Charter School Board voted 7-0 Friday to appeal a federal court order it had requested and won, a move that followed a binding attorney general's opinion barring a third vote on the Ben Gamla Jewish charter school application, which has failed twice. The AG's office called the vote strange and said it will not approve spending any state dollars on the appeal, arguing the board lacks standing to bring it. A notice of appeal is due Monday. For families in Oklahoma watching charter policy, the matter remains unsettled, with the board's attorneys to discuss how and whether to pursue the appeal at a future meeting.
A new poll released by the "yes. every kid. foundation" finds that likely Oklahoma voters favor the Parental Choice Tax Credit (PCTC) by more than two to one, with 59 percent favorable and 25 percent unfavorable. Fifty-four percent support raising the program's
75 million cap so more families can take part, compared with 27 percent opposed. The Oklahoma Tax Commission reports 42,012 students are using the credit for the 2026-2027 school year, and the credit, worth $5,000 to $7,500 per child, is prioritized for families earning
50,000 or less. Demand is likely to exceed the current cap if participation grows at this year's rate in 2027-2028. The poll surveyed 608 likely voters, with a margin of error of +/- 4.0 percent.
Oklahoma Watch found oversight gaps in the state's scholarship tax credit program, which served as the model for a new federal version that public schools can now join. In 2024 and 2025, only half of the state's eight scholarship-granting organizations met the requirement to spend 90% of donations on scholarships, and some audited financial statements were out of date. The Oklahoma Tax Commission says it lacks authority to penalize noncompliance, and it will also oversee the federal program. Oklahoma is one of 30 states that have opted in. Governors must submit their state's list of scholarship-granting organizations to the IRS before the federal program launches Jan. 1. Some public school leaders see the program as a new source of funding, while many others remain wary.
Oklahoma's Parental Choice Tax Credit offers refundable credits of $5,000 to $7,500 toward private school tuition and fees, based on federal adjusted gross income. The Tax Commission approved 39,637 applicants for 2026-27, totaling
52.3 million, and a May law raises the program cap to 75 million starting August 13, 2026. The 2026-27 application window closed June 15, and late applications are not accepted. The 2027-28 window has not been announced. Approved families can request school changes until December 31, 2026. Homeschool families may claim up to
,000 per student on their state returns. Some Democratic lawmakers argue public dollars belong in public schools, while Rep. Michelle McCane says tuition has risen to cover what families receive.
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