Tuesday is the first day of primary voting for the mayor and city council

Bloomington, Indiana – Beginning on Tuesday, voters can cast ballots for their favourite candidates for the Bloomington City Council and mayor in the primary election. Republican races are uncontested, meaning only Democrats will participate in the primary.

Voting will begin at 8 a.m. and end at six o’clock. this week on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Over the following three weeks, the polls will be open at the same time each weekday beginning at 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. both on April 22 and 29. Early voting will end on that day at 8 a.m. Election day is May 2, and voting begins on May 1 at noon.

Election Operations, which is located at 302 S., is where all early voting takes occur. Wood St.

The Bloomington voter registration office shuts on Monday at 4 p.m., so anyone planning to cast a ballot in the primary election must register by then. As long as they register at their Bloomington address, college students have the option of voting here rather than in their hometowns. Online registration is also an option, as is completing a form and delivering it to Election Central at 401 W. 100, 7th Street.

Even though they are now 17 years old, Bloomington residents can register to vote in this election as long as they will be 18 years old by the general election on Nov. 7, 2023. Moreover, felons who are not incarcerated at the time of the election may vote.

There are currently only two races in the general election that are up for grabs: the race for mayor, where Independent Joseph Davis is running, and the race for city council District 3, where Republican Brett Heinisch is running. Independent candidates may compete as long as they gather enough signatures by June 30. The Republican and Libertarian parties will have the chance to select a candidate via caucus by July 3. The primary election could decide a lot of the races leading up to the general election if there is no opposition before then.

Except for the Districts 6 and 4 of the city council, every primary election is up for grabs. Depending on where they live, voters will have the option to cast their ballots in one of six city council districts and for three of the seven candidates running for city council at-large.

After the primary election, a different Democratic candidate might be running for District 6 city council. According to an email sent by his attorney to the election board last month, David Wolfe Bender, a student at Indiana University who is the lone contender for the district, has declared his intention to resign following the primary election.

Bender’s residence, which might not be in the district where he is running, is being looked into by the election board. If Bender does decide to resign, the Democratic party will have 30 days from the official date of the withdrawal to select a candidate through caucuses.

Voters will have the option of supporting one of the three Democratic candidates standing for mayor: Don Griffin, Susan Sandberg, or Kerry Thomson. John Hamilton, the current mayor, is not seeking reelection.

Democrat Nicole Bolden, the city clerk, is on the ballot but is the only candidate.