Wednesday is last day to register, change party for Presidential primary

   Anyone wishing to register to vote or change their party affiliation in time to participate in the major political parties’ Presidential preference primary must do so before Wednesday, Avoyelles Registrar Gloria Moreau said.

    The Democratic and Republican parties will hold their primaries March 5. 

   Unlike elections for statewide and local elected offices, these elections are “closed primaries,” meaning only registered Republicans can vote in that primary election and only Democrats can vote in that party’s primary.

    Independent, unaffiliated and voters registered in other political parties will be able to vote on any other special election or proposition election that might be placed on the March 5 ballot.

   The preference primaries will decide which candidate Louisiana’s delegates will support at the parties’ national conventions to choose their candidates for U.S. President.

     For a party to be able to have a Presidential preference primary, it must have at least 40,000 registered members, Moreau said.

    Candidates wishing to participate in the primary elections qualified last month.

  Voters have until March 1 to request absentee mail-in ballots. Military personnel stationed overseas and voters currently overseas, hospitalized or in a sequestered trial jury have until March 4 to request those ballots. Early voting will be held Feb. 20-27.