Friday is last day to register for primary

The deadline to pre-register to vote in the May 20 Primary Election is this Friday, April 25, at 5 p.m.

In-person absentee voting at the courthouse will begin on April 28. Voting hours are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The last day to vote in-person is May 16 at 5 p.m.

All in-person absentee voters must show photo identification or sign a Personal Identification Affidavit.

The Mountain News headline for this story in it's April 23 issue incorrectly indicated voter affiliations could be changed through Friday. March 14 was the deadline to change affiliations to a specific party, according to the county elections office. Voters who are unaffiliated can declare their political party affiliation when they vote at the polling place or by absentee ballot.

Voters who have affiliated with the Constitution, Democratic, Libertarian, or Republican Parties cannot change their political party affiliation for the May 20 Primary.

Ballot choices for voters who have affiliated with the Constitution, Democratic, or Libertarian Parties or who are unaffiliated may select either the Democratic Ballot or the Non-Partisan Ballot.

Ballot choices for voters who have affiliated with the Republican Party may select the Democratic Ballot, the Republican Ballot, or the Non-Partisan Ballot.

Only voters affiliated as Republicans may vote in the Republican primary.

The Non-Partisan Ballot only contains judicial nominations.

Properly registered voters can request to have an absentee ballot mailed to them. County election officials prefer that voters use a specific request form when asking to have a ballot mailed to them. The form can be picked up at the courthouse, from Linda Neuer at the county office in Glenns Ferry, or it can be downloaded and printed off the county website at www.elmorecounty.org (select the "Elections" tab).

"The reason we need the specific form is because the May 20th primary is a closed election," said elections clerk Vivian Garcia. The absentee ballot request from the voter must contain the voter's political party affiliation and the voter's ballot choice. The request form specific to the May 20 election has a section where the voter must mark his or her party affiliation or unaffiliated choice and it has a section where the voter must mark his or her ballot choice based on the options available for the voter's affiliation choice.

"If I receive an absentee ballot request that does not contain this specific information, I will need to contact the voter, usually by mail, to get the information," Garcia said. "This will delay being able to mail an absentee ballot, and could affect whether the voter even receives the ballot in time for it to be counted on election night."

The Secretary of State's website also has the absentee ballot request form, as well as additional information regarding closed primary elections. Go to www.idahovotes.gov for more information.

The last day to request to have an absentee ballot mailed is Wednesday, May 14, at 5 p.m.

In order to be counted, all absentee ballots must be returned to the Elmore County Courthouse by no later than 8 p.m. on May 20.

April Wootan has withdrawn her candidacy for the King Hill precinct committeeman race. She was the only candidate to withdraw prior to the April 4 deadline to do so.

Jim Martin made the deadline to file as a write-in candidate for the Republican committeeman's race for Mountain Home Precinct #5. He will challenge Sumner Price, who is the only candidate on the ballot.

Voters eligible to vote in the Glenns Ferry Joint School District No. 192 School Levy Election will receive a ballot containing that district's school levy question.

Voters eligible to vote in the Bruneau-Grand View Joint School District No. 365 School Levy Election will receive a ballot containing that school district's levy question.