Absentee voting encouraged for May 19 primary

The continuing uncertainty created by the coronavirus pandemic has prompted the Washington County clerk’s office to encourage residents to vote absentee in the May 19 primary.
 In a little over two months from now, Republicans and Democrats in Idaho will nominate their party’s candidate for county, state and federal offices in the November election.
 There will also be a bond measure on the May 19 ballot that seeks $6.5 million in funding for a new ER wing at Weiser Memorial Hospital.
 Given the ever-changing coronavirus situation, and the efforts to limit its spread, there has been some discussion at the state level about possible changes or even postponement of the May 19 primary date.
 County clerks in Idaho’s 44 counties are waiting to see if Secretary of State Lawerence Denney makes any changes, such as offering alternatives to in-person voting at polling places.
 The secretary of state’s website promotes absentee voting with the slogan “vote early Idaho” and provides forms to request an absentee ballot.
 One concern that has been raised with in-person voting in the election is the age of many poll workers puts them in the at-risk category for exposure to coronavirus.
 There are also recomendations on social distancing and limiting the number of people that congregate in a group to slow the spread of the virus.  
 The Idaho Democractic Party sent both Idaho Gov. Brad Little and the Secretary of State a letter urging state officials to hold the May 19 primary election entirely by absentee ballot due to coronavirus.
 The letter suggested that absentee ballot request forms be sent by mail to every registered Idaho voter.
 Absentee ballot request forms are available online on the county website and also on the Idaho secretary of state website. Download the form, print it, fill it out, sign it, date it and return it to the county clerk’s office:
 Washington County Clerk
 P.O. Box 670
 Weiser, ID 83672
 Voters also can call the county clerk’s office at 208-414-2092 and ask that an absentee ballot request form be mailed to them. County officials said they were already getting quite a few requests for ballots.
 The county clerk’s office could receive the absentee ballots as early as April 3 and will start mailing them out.
 The primary election ballots must be returned to the county clerk’s office before 8 p.m. on election day, May19.