The main event comes in November with the general election, but this week’s primary serves as a very interesting preliminary of sorts.
Voters in the Ely area and across the state will go to the polls Tuesday for the primary election.
Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at all the usual locations in the Ely area as voters can weigh in on several state and federal races.
Voters will need to vote only for candidates in one political party.
The notable races include:
• The Democrat U.S. Senate clash involving Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan and U.S. Rep. Angie Craig among six candidates;
• The Democrat U.S. House race involving Trina Swanson, Luke Gulbranson and John Munter;
• The Republican governor primary with Mike Lindell, Kendall Qualls and Lisa Demuth;
• The Republican U.S. Senate primary with Michel le Ta foya, Adam Schwarze and Royce White.
Those contests have attracted the most attention in advance of this fall’s general election.
Polling places locally include the Ely Community Center, Morse Town Hall, Fall Lake Town Hall, Winton Community Center and Babbitt Municipal Building.
New to some voters this year are “poll pads,” which allow voters to sign in using an iPad.
“Election judges assist voters to sign their name on a poll pad just as they would before on a spreadsheet,” said Morse Town Clerk Nick Wognum. “Instead of signing on a piece of paper it’s on a poll pad and then they get a printout which they take as a receipt to get their ballot.”
The poll pads will be used this year for the first time in the city of Ely and have been used at Morse for the last two elections.
Tuesday’s primary winners advance to the November election and a crowded ballot with not only a slew of state and federal contests, but two hotly-contested area legislative races and local contests including:
• A mayoral election in Ely involving incumbent Heidi Omerza and council member Emily Roose;
• A six-way race for three Ely City Council positions with current members Al Forsman and Angela Campbell, former member Mark Zupec, Josh Brang, Abby Dare and Lacey Squier;
• A potential school referendum that would generate over $325,000 in new revenue for the Ely district with no impact on current tax rates;
• An Ely School Board race with incumbent Jen Westlund, Bailey Belehar, John Kannas, Derekah Kingery, Steve Hornstein and Joe Weise.
