ELECTION 2018: Primary elections season heads toward home stretch

Fall ballots around the country continue to take shape. In the coming weeks, voters in states from Vermont to Alaska will hold primaries to narrow their options for who will appear on the midterm election ballot.

Already 30 states have held primary elections for state offices as they reduce the field for Nov. 6. There are 14 states that will do the same in August, while five states wait until September.

States holding primaries in August: Alaska, Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Tennessee, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

In September, voters in Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Rhode Island will have their turn.

Louisiana holds its primary for state officials on the same day the rest of the country holds the general election. If necessary, a runoff would be Dec. 8.

Truckers who are registered to vote should make the effort to cast their ballots. Although primary elections typically don’t receive the same attention as the fall election, they can be just as, if not more, important.

Races for various elected offices will be trimmed in the lead up to November. A variety of other issues, and many that are of significance to the trucking industry, also will be on ballots.

To encourage truckers to get involved in the process, OOIDA is once again focused on providing truckers with information on how to register in all 50 states and on early voting and absentee ballots – where available.

Visit FightingForTruckers.com for information on steps to registering to vote. A link is available at the bottom of the page.

Truckers who do not have web access – or those who have questions or need assistance – can call the OOIDA Membership Department at 800-444-5791, Ext. 4906.

For information on getting an absentee ballot or to find out if your state offers early voting, contact your local elections office or secretary of state’s office. You can also visit them on the Internet. See the state-by-state contact info.