Primary balloting is first hurdle for political candidates countywide

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CACHE COUNTY – It’s nearly primary election time for selected municipalities in Cache Valley and ballots are already in the mail to registered voters of those communities.

Primary ballots will be mailed out to all registered voters by July 30 according to Teresa Harris, the Logan city recorder.

Residents of communities that are participating in the primary voting who have not received their ballots by the end of July should double-check their voter registration status and then contact their city recorders.

Cache County Clerk Jess Bradfield explained that local communities participating in the Aug. 10 primary balloting are Lewiston, Logan, North Logan, Smithfield and Trenton.

While the upcoming primary voting will trim the number of mayoral and city council candidates in those communities, Bradfield says that the outcome of similar races in 11 of Cache County’s other communities will be decided during the Nov. 2 general election balloting.

The official deadline for candidate registrations in Newton, Nibley and River Heights has been deferred until Aug. 17 because those communities have opted to skip the primary and use ranking choice voting in their municipal elections.

Under new state election laws, balloting in both the Aug.10 primary and the Nov. 2 general election will primarily be conducted by mail.

Voters can return their ballots via the U.S. Postal Service, which requires payment of postage fees, or by depositing their completed ballot forms into strategically placed drop boxes in their communities.

Bradfield said Tuesday that ballot drop boxes are now located either near city halls or libraries in the communities of Lewiston, Logan, Millville, North Logan, Richmond and Smithfield.

In Logan, for example, Harris said that that one ballot drop box is located in the lobby of the city offices at 290 North, 100 West and another is in the nearby parking lot.

Additional drop boxes will be placed in Clarkston, Mendon and Newton in time for the general election.

We are also working to create an interactive map on the county’s website that will allow residents to see where all the ballot drop boxes are placed,” Bradfield added.

Primary ballots returned by mail must be post-marked by Aug. 9. But completed ballots can still be deposited in drop boxes throughout the day on Aug. 10.

County residents can confirm the status of their voter registrations online at https://secure.utah.gov/voterreg/index.html.

During Aug. 10 primary balloting in Lewiston, residents will choose between six candidates for three city council seats. They are Regan Wheeler, Sigrid R. Roderer, Brenda K, Link, John H. Morrison, Kade B. Tarbet and Ned K. Simpler.

In Logan, the Aug. 10 primary balloting will determine which of three mayoral candidates will advance to the November municipal election. They are incumbent Mayor Holly Daines and challengers Dee Jones and R. Lowell Huber.

In North Logan, voters will trim a field of five candidates for two city council seats during the primary balloting. In the running are Brad Crookston, Bruce W. Lee, Emily Schmidt, Darrin Buttery and Joni Kartchner.

Two city council seats are also in primary contention in the adjacent community of Smithfield where Bart Caley, Jamie Anderson, Sue Hyer, Wade C. Campbell and Andrew Lillywhite have filed as hopefuls.

In the mayoral race in Trenton, primary voters will choose two candidates to advance to the November election from incumbent Mayor Lynn G. Payne and challengers Deyette K. Bradley and Rachelle Ludwinski.

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