Do you want a voice in our upcoming election? If you do, you need to vote in the upcoming Primary Election being held this spring on May 21.
Idaho Primary elections can be confusing. Many of the races are partisan – meaning the candidate who is running affiliates with one of four political parties. The candidate could be running as a Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, or a member of the Constitutional party.
To vote for a candidate who affiliates with a party, the voter must declare a party affiliation. A few positions, such as magistrate judge, which are nonpartisan, do not require party affiliation.
About one quarter of Idahoans who are registered to vote do not affiliate with a party. On the voter rolls, they are identified as Unaffiliated.
Under Idaho’s laws, Unaffiliated voters don’t get much of a say.
But each Unaffiliated voter can change that. Unaffiliated voters can contact their county elections office to affiliate with a party or do so at the polls on Primary election day. If you are voting in person, ask to affiliate when you get to the polls.
A successful democracy depends on a broad participation of the citizen electorate. The more people who vote, the stronger our country will be.
You have an opportunity to make a difference, so affiliate and vote on May 21st.
Judith High
Brenda Walter
Nona Kaye Clark
All of Bonners Ferry
Publisher’s note: Those voters who are affiliated with a party but want to change affiliation or become unaffiliated for the May 21 primary must do so by 5 p.m. Friday, March 15. Those who are unaffiliated can declare affiliation at the county clerk’s office or at the polls on election day.