{"data":{"id":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-19-19-901.5","jurisdiction":"us-ok","citation":"Okla. Stat. tit. 19, § 19-901.5","heading":"Board of directors - Elections - Vacancies","body":"A. Directors of a fire protection district shall be the surface\n\nowners of real property in and residents of the district and shall\n\nnot be paid firefighters for the fire protection district.\n\nB. At the time of making its order organizing the district, the\n\nboard of county commissioners shall appoint three directors who\n\nshall hold their office until the next General Election, at which\n\ntime their successors shall be elected. At the election, the\n\nqualified person receiving the highest number of votes for member of\n\nboard of directors of the district shall hold office for the term of\n\nsix (6) years. The qualified person receiving the next highest\n\nnumber of votes shall be elected for four (4) years, and the\n\nqualified person having the next highest number of votes shall be\n\nelected for two (2) years. Each two (2) years thereafter, there\n\nshall be elected for a term of six (6) years one member of said the\n\nboard of directors.\n\nC. 1. A board of directors may increase its membership to\n\nbetter insure both geographic and population representation to five\n\n(5), seven (7) or nine (9) members by resolution of the board. The\n\nsize of the board may also be increased by a petition signed by\n\nfifty-one percent (51%) of the eligible members of the district. If\n\na board of directors adopts such a resolution, the position of the\n\noriginal board which will be up for election at the next General\n\nElection shall be for a five-year term.\n\n2. An additional two members shall be elected at a special\n\nelection called for that purpose by the board of directors. The two\n\nqualified persons who receive the highest number of votes for the\n\nadditional two positions shall be elected to serve until the next\n\nGeneral Election.\n\n3. All board members elected thereafter to a five-member board\n\nshall serve a term of five (5) years with elections held yearly.\n\nAfter the initial election of new board members, the terms shall be\n\nstaggered so that no more than two member's terms expire per year.\n\nD. The board of directors of the district shall submit, within\n\nfifteen (15) days before the filing period of any district election,\n\na resolution to the secretary of the county election board\n\nconducting the election. The resolution shall contain the\n\nfollowing:\n\n1. The date of the election;\n\n2. The offices to be filled or the questions to be voted upon\n\nat the election;\n\n3. Qualifications for the offices;\n\n4. The location of the polling place or places; and\n\n5. Any other information necessary for conducting the election.\n\nE. 1. The regular election in the district shall be held at\n\nthe same time as the General Election in this state or on the second\n\nTuesday in November in those years that a General Election is not\n\nheld.\n\n2. In those years that a General Election is not held the\n\nentire cost of the election shall be paid by the district. When the\n\nelection is held at the same time as the General Election, the\n\ndistrict shall pay only for the cost directly attributable to\n\ndistrict election.\n\n3. All polling places of precincts, all or any part of which\n\ninclude areas within the boundaries of the district, shall be\n\nsupplied ballots for the purpose of permitting electors of the\n\ndistrict to vote for members of the board of directors of the\n\ndistrict.\n\n4. Filing for the office of member of the board of directors\n\nshall be with the county election board on a nonpartisan basis from\n\n8 a.m. on the first Monday after Independence Day until 5 p.m. on\n\nthe next succeeding Wednesday each year. The payment of a filing\n\nfee shall not be required.\n\nF. 1. Vacancies on the board shall be filled by the board of\n\ndirectors. In the event a vacancy occurs and the remaining members\n\nof the board are unable to make a decision on such vacancy within\n\nsixty (60) calendar days, the board of county commissioners shall\n\nimmediately appoint a member to fill the vacancy. In the event the\nesday each year. The payment of a filing\n\nfee shall not be required.\n\nF. 1. Vacancies on the board shall be filled by the board of\n\ndirectors. In the event a vacancy occurs and the remaining members\n\nof the board are unable to make a decision on such vacancy within\n\nsixty (60) calendar days, the board of county commissioners shall\n\nimmediately appoint a member to fill the vacancy. In the event the\n\nvacancies on the board are so numerous as to not provide a quorum,\n\nthe board of county commissioners shall appoint as many members as\n\nare necessary to make a quorum.\n\n2. All vacancies filled pursuant to the provisions of this\n\nsubsection shall be filled until the next regular election, at which\n\ntime a member shall be elected to serve the remainder of the\n\nunexpired term.\n\nG. 1. The office of a member of the board of directors may be\n\ndeclared vacant by the board of directors if such member:\n\na. is absent from more than one-half (1/2) of all\n\nmeetings of the board of directors, regular and\n\nspecial, held within any period of four (4)\n\nconsecutive months,\n\nb. ceases to be eligible for office pursuant to this\n\nsection,\n\nc. has a conviction in a court of any felony or crime\n\ninvolving moral turpitude,\n\nd. uses alcohol, any stimulant, any drug or other\n\nsubstance which impairs intellect, judgment or\n\nphysical ability to such an extent as to incapacitate\n\nthe member to such a degree that the member is\n\nprevented from performing duties pursuant to Chapter\n\n21 of this title, and\n\ne. has a mental or physical weakness or inability which\n\nincapacitates the member to such a degree that the\n\nmember is prevented from performing duties required\n\npursuant to Chapter 21 of this title.\n\n2. Vacancies determined pursuant to this subsection shall be\n\nfilled pursuant to subsection F of this section after notice to the\n\nboard member of such action and opportunity for a hearing.\n\n3. Vacancies shall be determined at an official meeting of the\n\nboard and shall be a specific agenda item.\n\n4. Any appeal from a decision declaring an office vacant\n\npursuant to this subsection shall be made to the district court\n\nwithin thirty (30) days of such determination.","path":["OK Code","Title 19"],"source_url":"https://www.oklegislature.gov/OK_Statutes/CompleteTitles/os19.pdf","current_through":"2026-08-14","vintage":"open-us-law v2026.08, retrieved 2026-09-14","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T18:32:36Z","sha256":"fbe2e83f92fc5db1025991983bb5231b55e98181d74c6f3c1af995ae45407ddb","source_id":"us-ok","stale":false,"prev":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-19-19-901.49","next":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-19-19-901.50"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}