Polls open today; be sure to vote

Polls are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. today for a local election that will determine winners of open board seats for the Kootenai Hospital District, Community Library Network, highway districts, Post Falls School District and Bayview Water and Sewer.

Voters must go to their designated poll. Early voting closed on Friday. If you don't know where your poll is, visit http://www.kcgov.us/elections/# or call 446-1030.

Voters must show a photo identification at the polls. If voters can't show an ID, they will be given the option to sign a personal identity affidavit.

For the Post Falls school seat, you must live in Zone 5 to vote for that position. Zone 5 is east of Highway 41 and south of Mullan Avenue east of Greensferry Road. The neighborhoods include Pine Villa, Riverside Harbor and Highlands.

Voting for the highway district seats are

districtwide. You don't have to live in the sub-district that has a seat up for election to vote on that race.

The CLN has libraries in Post Falls, Hayden, Athol, Spirit Lake, Rathdrum, Harrison and Pinehurst and a bookmobile. The Coeur d'Alene Library is not a part of the CLN.

The Press published candidate profile stories leading up to the election. They can also be found at www.cdapress.com.

Voter turnout for May elections have been dismal in recent years. It was 8 percent in May 2015.

"The way things have been going (with early and absentee voting), I’m expecting it to be around the same," said Carrie Phillips, Kootenai County elections supervisor.

Here are the races:

Post Falls School Board Zone 5 — Incumbent Carol Goodman will be challenged by write-in candidate Gary Nystrom for the four-year seat.

Consolidated Free Library (Community Library Network) (six-year seat) — Judith Centa Meyer, Regina McCrea and Jason R. Ball are running for two open seats. Meyer and McCrea are currently serving.

Consolidated Free Library (four-year seat) — Incumbent Carl Gidlund is being challenged by Robert Fish.

East Side Highway District (sub-district 2) — Incumbent Terry Sverdsten is being challenged by John Austin and Mark Thyr.

Lakes Highway District (sub-district 1) — Incumbent Rod Twete is being challenged by Laurin Scarcello.

Post Falls Highway District (sub-district 1) — Terry Werner is running unopposed.

Post Falls Highway District (sub-district 2) — Incumbent Todd Tondee is being challenged by Robert Balser.

Worley Highway District (sub-district 2) — David Johnson and Corinne Johnson are running. They are not related.

Kootenai Hospital — Richard Barclay, Thomas deTar, Teri Farr and Randil Clark are running for two open six-year seats.

Bayview Water and Sewer (director No. 2) — George "Chris" Gormsen and Richard Doney are running for the six-year seat.

Bayview Water and Sewer (director No. 1) — Robyn Edwards and Norma Jean Knowles are seeking the six-year seat.

All highway district seats are four years.