Deadline to pre-register to vote is coming up

The deadline to pre-register to vote in the Nov. 5 general election is this Friday, Oct. 11, at the county courthouse in Weiser.
 If you miss the voter registration deadline, don’t worry. You can still register to vote and cast a ballot at the same time during early voting or on election day. The last day for early voting is Nov. 1 at 5 p.m. at the courthouse.
 The application for a mail-in absentee ballot must be received by the county clerk no later than 5 p.m. on Oct. 25 for the Nov. 5 election. The completed absentee ballot must be returned to the county clerk by 8 p.m. on election day, Nov. 5.
 Idaho also offers election day voter registration at the polls. Any resident who is not currently registered to vote can bring a valid photo ID and proof of residency, such as a bank statement or utility bill that shows a current address, and sign up to vote.  
 To qualify to cast a ballot, an elector must be a U.S. citizen, 18 years of age, a resident of Idaho and must have lived in the county for 30 days prior to the election.
 Election day is Tuesday, Nov. 5. Polls will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. that day. For more information, call the county clerk’s office at 414-2092.
 Although it is an off-year for presidential, congressional and state elections, there are contested races for city offices in Weiser and Cambridge and trustee positions with the Weiser School District.  
 The county clerk’s office will run city elections in Weiser, Midvale and Cambridge on Nov. 5. Only residents of those respective incorporated cities can vote in city elections.
 Three candidates filed to run for the nonpartisan position of Weiser mayor. The candidates are Randy Hibberd, Dan Randleman and Alex Chavarria.
 There are three Weiser City Council seats up for election in November and five city residents filed for office. The three incumbents are seeking re-election. They include Cliff Barberis, Larry Hogg and Layna Hafer. Candidates Bonnie Akbar and Chris Hagans also filed for city council and the top three vote-getters will win offices.
 In the city of Midvale, incumbent mayor Brian Graham filed for another term in office and was unchallenged. Two city council positions are up for election and both incumbents filed for office. Council members Phyllis Widner and Katie Bane were unchallenged for another term in office.
 In Cambridge, there will be two new faces on the four-member city council after the two incumbents did not file for another term in office. Former mayor Nanette Rhodes, Delray Platt and Levi Harrison filed for the two open council seats. The top two voter-getters will win office.
 Two of the three school board seats up for election in the Weiser School District are contested races.
 Incumbent Zone 1 trustee Cary Gibbs filed to retain his seat on the school board. He faces challenger Justin Erickson.
 Incumbent Zone 5 trustee Kerry Nyce filed for another term in office on the school board. The seat is contested with Crystal Torres and Russell Haggerty also filing as candidates.
 Zone 4 trustee Dr. Mark Pritchard filed to retain his seat on the Weiser school board and was not challenged.