that job. The commission selects three qualified nominees and presents the names to the governor, who may appoint one of the nominees. If the governor fails to appoint a nominee to the position within sixty days, the Chief Justice of Oklahoma may make the selection. County government The county is the primary administrative division of Oklahoma. They are bodies politic and corporate. There are seventy-seven counties in the state. Counties contain a number of towns and cities as well as unincorporated land in the state. Every county has a county seat, often a populous or centrally located city or town, where the county government is headquartered. In traditional Midwest fashion, counties in Oklahoma possess a moderate scope of power. As extensions of the state government, counties are primarily administrative bodies that possess executive and limited judicial powers, but not legislative powers. Their primary responsibilities are related to managing, planning, and governing unincorporated land within their borders. The counties keep records of deaths, births, marriages, divorces, property ownership, and court activities within the county. The counties must also maintain a court system, law enforcement, road and bridge construction, and voter registration. As extensions of the state government, the counties are responsible for six major services: Maintaining the peace and protecting life and property Assessing and collecting taxes to operate the county Compile, record, and preserve public records essential to maintaining individual property rights Building and maintain public roads, highways, and bridges Providing facilities for courts and the administration of justice through the District Court system Caring for the needy and indigent, orphaned children, and the aged Each county government is composed of eight elected officials and a district attorney. County officials serve four-year terms beginning on the first Monday in January following their election. Each county is headed by a Board of County Commissioners consisting of three elected county commissioners. The board serves as the quasi-head of government, with the chair of the board as the quasi-head of state, of the county. Each county is divided into three districts drawn based on equal population. From each of the three districts, a county commissioner is elected independently from the other two commissioners. The three commissioners serve collegiately, with each having equal voting powers and a yearly rotating chairmanship. The board supervises county administration, manages property owned by the county, prepares the county budget (unless the county has adopted the County Budget Board),