Primary just a day away

With the primary election just a day away, if you haven't already mailed in your early ballot, don't do it now, election coordinator Mary Martinez advises.
 
"You can mail it, but that doesn't mean we will get it in time," Martinez said. "As close as it is to the election now, you are really taking a risk now."
 
The primary election is Tuesday, and the general election is just 67 days away on Nov. 4.
 
Instead, Martinez recommends dropping off your early ballot at the Yuma County Recorder's Office, 410 S. Maiden Lane, or handing them in at one of the polling places.
 
Krysty Marin, Yuma County voter registration coordinator, says there is a new pedestal mailbox, which is checked routinely throughout the day, in front of the recorder's office where voters can drop off their early ballots.
 
"They used to have to shove them through the door into a collection box if they were turning them in," Marin said. "There is no way I would stick my early ballot in the mail now."
 
Martinez and Marin say ballots must be in the county's possession by 7 p.m. Tuesday to be counted. Ballots that arrive in the mail after Tuesday, Martinez added, will be tossed out, even if they are postmarked as having been put in the mail, meaning those votes won't count.
 
"Anything that comes in after Tuesday won't be sent on to be counted," Marin said.
 
Early ballots can also be dropped off at any of the county's 42 polling sites before 7 p.m. Tuesday, when the polls close.

Marin also advises voter that if the line seems long, do not go to another precinct. Anyone in line by the 7 p.m. closing time will still be allowed to vote.
 
Marin is asking that voters turn in early ballots as soon as possible to give election workers more time to process them for counting as part of final returns. Election results tend to be slower in coming if large numbers of ballots arrive at the last moment, she said.

The ballots can also be delivered to recorder's employees at the office during business hours, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday.
 
Voters will be deciding on a number of state and local elections during the primary election, many of which are uncontested.
 
Incumbent state lawmakers from Yuma County, Sen. Amanda Aguirre and Reps. Theresa Ulmer and Lynne Pancrazi, don't have opponents in the Democratic primary. Russ Jones is running unopposed in the Republican primary, as is Green Party candidate Jack Kretzer.
 
In county races, Assessor Joe Wehrle does not have an opponent in either the primary or general. Nor does County Attorney Jon Smith, School Superintendent Tom Tyree and Superior Court judges Mark Reeves and Andrew Gould.
 
There is only one Republican candidate for recorder, Robyn Stallworth Pouquette, who will face the winner of the Democratic primary between Brenda Wehrle and Francisco Vasquez.
 
There is also only one candidate each in the Democratic and Republican primaries for treasurer, which is between Democrat Daniel Dawson and Republican David Egeberg, and for Superior Court Judge in Division 6, which is between Republican John Minore and Democrat Maria Elena Cruz.
 
While Yuma County Supervisor Russell McCloud will have no opponent in the primary, he will face Democrat Donna Phipps in the general election. Also not facing any competition in the primary is Supervisor Tony Reyes, who will face Republican David Lara in the general election. Lara is uncontested in his primary.
 
Yuma County Supervisor Greg Ferguson, a Republican, is running unopposed in both the primary and general elections.
 
Republican Supervisor Casey Prochaska in District 3 has an opponent, Marcos Moore, in the primary, while District 1 Supervisor Lenore Stuart has an opponent in the Democratic primary, Paulo Escalante. Incumbent Sheriff Ralph Ogden faces Norma Nelson in the Democratic primary.
 
Marin said the recorder's office sent out 17,782 early voter ballots and as of last week, only 9,687 have been returned, leaving 8,095 still in voters' hands.
 
"We will still be getting early ballot from now until Tuesday from voters who didn't realize the election was so soon now," Marin said.
 
Marin also said there still may be some voters who chose not to vote in the primary due to the many uncontested races and because they won't get to vote in the presidential race or on state ballots until the general election.
 
"The uncontested races will play a critical role in this election because it may cause voters not to be interested in voting in the primary, which would hurt the candidates in the contested races," Marin said.
 
For those voters who like to cast their ballots on election day, polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voters can find out where they vote by checking the sample ballots previously mailed to their homes. If they have misplaced their sample ballots can find out where to vote by calling Marin's office, 373-6034.


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POLLING LOCATIONS
Polls for the general election will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
  • Precinct 1 - Yuma City Hall, One City Plaza
  • Precinct 2 - Martin Luther King Jr. Neighborhood Center, 300 S. 13th Ave.
  • Precinct 3 - Immaculate Conception Church, 501 S. Avenue B
  • Precinct 4 - Valley Baptist Church, 3830 W. 8th St.
  • Precinct 5 - Pecan Shadow Apts., Community Building, 2650 W. 3rd St.
  • Precinct 6 - Oasis Church, 1545 S. Avenue C
  • Precinct 7 - Immanuel Southern Baptist Church, 1000 E. 24th St.
  • Precinct 8 - Sierra Vista Presbyterian Church, 150 W. 28th St.
  • Precinct 9 - Trinity United Methodist Church, 3030 S. 8th Ave.
  • Precincts 10 and 16 - Yuma County Health Department, 2200 W. 28th St.
  • Precinct 11 - Yuma Civic Center, 1440 W. Desert Hills Drive
  • Precincts 12, 13 and 14 - Yuma Community Food Bank, 2325 S. Engler Ave.
  • Precinct 15 - Gila Ridge High School, 7150 E. 24th St.
  • Precinct 17 - Martinez Lake Fire Station, 10845 E. Martinez Lake Road
  • Precinct 18 - Wellton Elementary School, 29126 E. San Jose, Wellton
  • Precinct 19 - Dateland School, Avenue 64E and Easy Street, Dateland
  • Precinct 20 - Mohawk Valley School, 5151 S. Avenue 39E, Roll
  • Precinct 21 - Community Christian Church, 6480 E. Highway 95
  • Precinct 22 - Victory Community Church, 11358 S. Avenue 9E
  • Precinct 23 - Yuma East Clubhouse, 11357 E. 35th Place
  • Precincts 24 and 25 - Foothills Assembly of God, 12831 E. 41st St.
  • Precinct 26 - Desert Grace Community Church, 12134 E. North Frontage Road
  • Precinct 27 - Britain's Chuckwagon, 4331 W. Riverside Drive
  • Precinct 28 - Crane Junior. High School, 4480 W. 32nd St.
  • Precinct 29 - Somerton Public Safety Building, 445 E. Main St.
  • Precinct 30 - Fernando Padilla Community Center, 800 E. Juan Sanchez Blvd., San Luis
  • Precinct 31 - San Luis City Hall, multipurpose room, 1090 E. Union St.    • Precinct 32 - Orange Grove School, 3525 W. County 16-1/2 St.
  • Precinct 33 - Yuma Mesa Irrigation and Drainage District, 14329 S. 4th Ave.
  • Precinct 34 - Gila Vista Junior High School, 2245 S. Arizona Ave.
  • Precinct 35 - Centennial Middle School, 2650 W. 20th St.
  • Precincts 36 and 42 - Generations Church, 1535 S. 8th Ave.
  • Precinct 37 - St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 1550 S. 14th Ave.
  • Precinct 38 - Ronald Reagan Elementary School, 3200 W. 16th St.
  • Precinct 39 - Yuma County Health Department, 2200 W. 28th St.
  • Precinct 40 - Vince Nelson Community Building, 2030 S. Avenue A
  • Precinct 41 - Woodard Junior High School, 2250 S. 8th Ave.

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YUMA COUNTY PRIMARY CANDIDATES

• Board of Supervisors - District 1
Lenore Lorona-Stuart (D)
Paulo Escalante (D)

• Board of Supervisors - District 2
Russell McCloud (R)
Donna Phipps (D)

• Board of Supervisors - District 3
Casey Prochaska (R)
Marcus Moore Jr. (R)

• Board of Supervisors - District 4
David Lara (R)
Marco Antonio Reyes (D)

• Board of Supervisors - District 5
Greg Ferguson (R)

• Recorder
Robyn Stallworth Pouquette (R)
Brenda Wehrle (D)
Francisco Vasquez (D)

• Treasurer
Daniel Dawson (D)
David Egeberg (R)

• Assessor
Joe Wehrle (D)

• County Attorney
Jon Smith (D)

• School Superintendent
Tom Tyree (R)

• Sheriff
Ralph Ogden (D)
Norma Nelson (D)

• Judge of Superior Court - Division 1
Mark Wayne Reeves (D)

• Judge of Superior Court - Division 2
Andrew Gould (R)

• Judge of Superior Court - Division 6
Maria Elena Cruz (D)
John Minore (R)

• State Representative District 24
Russ Jones (R)
Lynne Pancrazi (D)
Theresa Ulmer (R)

• State Senator District 24
Amanda Aguirre (D)
Jack Kretzer (G)

• U.S. Congress - Arizona District 7
Gene Chewning (R)
Joseph Sweeney (R)
Raul Grijalva (D)