Election explained
Sample ballots for the summer party primaries won’t be available from the Secretary of State’s office until after June 1.
Circuit Clerk Vernon Alford says county voters will need to understand a few things before voting in the party primaries this summer,
“When you enter your polling place, a poll worker will ask you if you want to vote Democrat or Republican. Some people are offended by the question, but it is necessary for you to sign the poll books and it’s also necessary for the poll worker to give you the correct card to activate your voting machine. When you insert the card, it will bring up a Republican primary ballot or a Democratic primary ballot. That’s the reason for the poll worker asking if you want to vote Democrat or Republican,” Alford said.
In the primaries you can only vote in one of the two party primaries.
Later, when you return in three weeks for the primary runoffs, you’ll be asked to give your party preference, for the same reason. And when you vote in the second primary, you should vote for whatever party that you voted in the first primary. That’s because the first and second primaries are considered as one election and the second primary considered an extension of the first primary,” Alford said.
Some candidates will not appear on either primary ballot, as they have qualified as independent or third party candidates Even if you favor an independent candidate, you can vote in one of the party primaries, and then vote for an independent candidate during the November general election, Alford noted.
Also, in November voters will be darkening an oval on a paper ballot, then scanning that ballot for counting. The completed general election ballots are then deposited into a ballot box or bag as you leave the voting precinct.
The Times will be publishing the separate primary ballots as soon as they are available from the Secretary of State. There will also be a listing of candidates running as third party or independents, although those candidates will show up for the first time on the ballot during the November general election.