Huge voter turnout expected at polls

Voters will go to the polls today in what local, state and national officials are predicting could be a record turnout.

Polls will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and if you're not sure where to vote citizens are being urged to check with the county courthouse, in order to avoid confusion on election day.

In fact, there will be two separate elections run Tuesday. Besides the general election, in which voters will cast their ballots for everything from president to magistrate judge, the Western Elmore County Recreation District will be running a completely separate election to determine if incumbent Mollie Marsh will retain her seat as a WECRD board director, or challenger Leanna Whitney will replace her in the first contested election the WECRD has ever faced. Voters will need to go through two lines, one for the general election ballot and one for the WECRD ballot (see related story this page).

The general election ballot is headed by the race for president. With Republican John McCain holding a better than 40-point lead in the polls in Idaho (the widest polling margin for either candidate in any state in the nation), it is a virtual certainty he will earn Idaho's four electoral votes at the end of the night. But also on the presidential ballot will be Democrat Barack Obama, Constitution Party candidate Chuck Baldwin, Libertarian Party candidate Bob Barr and independent candidate Ralph Nader.

The next most important race on the ballot is the five-person contest to replace retiring Republican senator Larry Craig. Republican Jim Risch, the state's lieutenant governor, will square off against Democrat Larry LaRocco, Libertarian Candidate Kent Marmon, and two independent candidates, Rex Rammell and "Pro-Life," a person formally known as Marvin Richardson until he had his name changed.

In Elmore County voters also will cast ballots for the Second Congressional District, where incumbent Republican Mike Simpson is being challenged by Democrat Deborah Holmes.

At the state level, all three legislative positions are up for election in District 22, which is composed of Elmore and Boise County. For state senator, incumbent Republican Tim Corder is being challenged by Democrat G. Rustyn Casiano. For the Position B seat as state representative, incumbent Republican Pete Nielsen is being challenged by Democrat Rosemary Ardinger. Rich Wills, the Republican incumbent for the Position A seat as state representative, is unopposed.

At the county level, two seats are up for election for the board of county commissioners. In District 1, Republican Arlie Shaw is being challenged by Democrat Janet Langfitt, and in District 2, incumbent Republican Larry Rose is facing a write-in challenge by independent Doug King.

For Elmore County Sheriff long-serving incumbent Republican Rick Layher is being challenged by Democrat Robbin Ellis and independent Greg Berry (who is making his second attempt to upset Layher).

Incumbent county Prosecuting Attorney Kristina Schindele, a Democrat, is running unopposed.

Both of the county's magistrate judges, George Hicks and David Epis, face voter approval ballots in which voters are simply asked whether or not they should be retained in office.

In addition, voters are being reminded to flip over to the back side of the general election ballot where they will decide whether or not to create a pest abatement taxing district within Elmore County. The district would be focused primarily on controlling mosquitoes that carry West Nile Virus.