Voter registration is simple

    Tuesday?s primary elections are just around the corner, and some potential voters may be wondering if they can still register to vote. Washington County Deputy Auditor Phyllis Hofer said county residents can register the same day they vote. If you are registering for the first time in a precinct, you must present a photo ID and proof of your current address.

    ?The best form of ID is a current and valid Iowa Driver?s License,? said Hofer. ?If it?s not expired and it has your photo and current address, that?s perfect.?

    Hofer said that residents who are already registered in their precinct will not necessarily have to present any form of identification. She said they will be asked to supply their name and address, which are checked to the county?s database of registered voters. She also said that you do not have to be 18 years old to vote in a primary election, but rather 17 ½ years old. 

    People who register to vote are sent a voter registration card in the mail. If the post office is unable to mail the card because the address is invalid, it is returned to the County Auditor?s office and the voter is marked ?inactive.? Residents who wish to vote but who are marked ?inactive? must present a photo ID at the polling station.

    There are a few rules to remember before you step into the ballot box. A citizen must change his party affiliation to the party primary he votes in. He may not remain an independent and still vote in the primary election. In Iowa, citizens may only vote in one party?s primary election ? either the Democratic Party?s election or the Republican Party?s. That means you cannot vote in both the Democratic senatorial race and the Republican gubernatorial race, for example. However, you are allowed to change parties between the primary and general elections.

    ?You are that party until you change back,? said Hofer. ?Some people don?t realize that, either. When you leave the polling place, you are still the party you declared that day.?

    The only real significance of maintaining one party affiliation over the other is the kind of political mail the registered voter receives.

For more, see our June 4 print edition.