04/29/2024
This is sort of a PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT from a soon-to-be poll worker who would like to educate the voters on what they will encounter May 21. PLEASE read and share this information BEFORE you vote.
1). May 21st is the PRIMARY Election. The PRIMARY election is when voters who have AFFILIATED VOLUNTARILY with a PRIVATE ORGANIZATION/PARTY such as the Republican, Democrat, Libertarian or Constitution party choose the party candidate to go onto the final all-candidate ballot in November. That is the purpose of a PRIMARY. However, this year there will be NO PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES ON THE BALLOT. Due to a legislatorial issue, the presidential primary was eliminated for this year. Instead the GOP held a caucus on Mar 2 and the DEMs will hold a caucus on May 23. I do not know what the CON and LIB parties chose to do about any of their presidential candidates. The May election will feature Congressional, State level and local candidates ONLY.
2). WE DO NOT HAVE AN INDEPENDENT PARTY IN IDAHO. If you registered UNAFFILIATED, you are NOT "independent", you DO NOT BELONG TO ANY PARTY. Please understand the difference. You will NOT get a ballot with all of the candidates on it. That is NOT the purpose of a primary.
3). When you go to the polls either by absentee (deadline to request is May 10), early (May 6 - 17) or on Election Day (May 21) you will be given CHOICES based on your registration affiliation. Please do NOT give the poll worker grief over the questions you will be asked. They are just doing their job. Based on your registration affiliation you WILL be offered the choice of ONE ballot but because of the LAW and party rules, you WILL BE OFFERED A CHOICE. MAKE YOUR CHOICE AND PLEASE DO NOT GIVE THE POLL WORKER GRIEF.
4). NO ONE already affiliated with a party will be allowed to cross over to another party. That deadline was Mar 15. You will ONLY be allowed the choice based on your CURRENT PARTY AFFILIATION. If you vote absentee and do not like the ballot option you got based on your AFFILIATION, you MUST vote the ballot you chose. Do NOT come to the polls and try to get a different ballot. It will NOT happen. If you don't like your choices, you should have paid attention earlier and changed your affiliation before the deadline. IT IS NOT THE POLL WORKER'S FAULT. BE KIND.
5). The hitch in this git-along are the UNAFFILIATED voters. Please read that again. UNAFFILIATED , NOT "INDEPENDENT". We do NOT have an Independent party in Idaho. According to state law, UNAFFILIATED voters DO NOT belong to any party so they MAY CHOOSE to affiliate or not at the polls. IF they CHOOSE a CON, LIB or REP ballot, they will AUTOMATICALLY BE AFFILIATED WITH THAT PARTY AND WILL BE ABLE TO RECEIVE THAT PARTY BALLOT. If they CHOOSE a DEM or NON ballot, they may REMAIN unaffiliated. Yes, it is complicated at first ( the dems have an open primary and everyone is able to choose a non ballot regardless of affiliation). Your poll workers are TRAINED to explain the choices. LET THEM EXPLAIN and PLEASE DO NOT GIVE THEM A HARD TIME. It is still one-ballot-one-voter so make your choice wisely.
Voters are FREE to voluntarily CHOOSE a party or NOT choose a party when they register to vote. If you have CHOSEN to affiliate with a certain party, then KNOW THE RULES of that party BEFORE you go to the polls. You can always look up the info online with the parties, the state or county and you can always call the Election office of your county for an explanation. Voters are SUPPOSED to inform themselves BEFORE they go to the polls so PLEASE DO SO. Our poll workers provide a valuable service to the community and spend at least 14 hours working on Election Day to make certain that YOU have a fair and well-run voting experience. We do our best to provide the proper information, to be polite and efficient, and to answer any questions. Please treat us with respect. We are your neighbors, your family, your co-workers. We do not make the laws or the rules, we merely enforce them.
PLEASE inform yourself as to who and what you will be able to vote for based on the decision YOU made when you registered to vote. If you don't like your lawful choices, that is on YOU. If you don't like the law, talk to your state legislators. If you have any questions come down to the Elections office and get a Sample Ballot so you see how you will be voting.
Voting is important especially in these times and the SOS and county Election offices are working diligently to ensure fair and secure elections. Poll workers are a HUGE part of that (we always need poll workers BTW). If we lose poll workers, we will end up with mail-in voting and we DO NOT want that! So when you vote, listen to your options, accept those options based on the decision YOU MADE when you registered, take your ballot and make your choices. Do your civic duty to keep our country, state, and county running. Do research on the candidates. Every vote counts and every poll worker deserves to be treated with respect. Please remember that this May and thank you for being an involved citizen!
