Be an informed voter in 2020

Anyone who has voted before knows that making decisions while going over a ballot can be an overwhelming task, especially if the voter is uneducated and hasn’t taken the time to get to know their candidate options. 
The 2020 primary election is quickly approaching, and it’s
important for voters to be well educated on their candidates before hitting the voting booth. 
As far as federal seats go, Republicans will choose between 10 candidates to fill the U.S. Senate seat left vacant by Sen. Mike Enzi, and another two candidates for the U.S. Representative seat currently held by Rep. Liz Cheney, who is rerunning. Republicans especially have a daunting task of researching the candidates’ views, especially with two out-of-staters unknown to local voters. 
Democratic voters, on the other hand, will have six U.S. Senate candidates to pick from and another three candidates vying for the general election U.S. Representative seat. 
State lawmakers have less of a battle heading into the primary with Rep. Hans Hunt running unopposed for the House District 2 seat and incumbent Rep. Tyler Lindholm facing one opponent, Chip Neiman, for the House District 1 seat. 
These aren’t the only races citizens should pay attention to. Local elected officials have more impact on the lives of Weston County residents on a daily basis, and it is crucial to research these candidates as well. 
Weston County residents will choose between three candidates — incumbent Ed Wagoner, Don Taylor and Vera Huber — for the two Weston County Commission seats up for grabs. Commissioner Tracy Hunt has not filed to rerun for his seat on the commission. 
Newcastle residents have two options for the mayoral seat left vacant by former Mayor Deb Piana. Both Councilman Don Steveson and Councilwoman Pam Gualtieri have filed and are running for mayor. Newcastle City Council candidates are Roger Hespe, Tom Voss, Michael Alexander and Darren Downs. 
Running for Weston County District Court Clerk is Tina Cote, who filled the position when the late Gidget Macke passed earlier this year, leaving that seat open. 
Next week, residents will have two opportunities to consume as much information as possible about local, state and federal candidates. The Weston County Republican Party’s candidate forum will be held on Aug. 12 at the Newcastle Lodge and Convention Center with a question and answer session open to the public at 7 p.m. The News Letter Journal election guide will publish on Aug. 13, and will feature questions and answers from the candidates. Candidates can also be reached through individual
websites and Facebook pages (see ads throughout this newspaper and the Aug. 13 edition).
Don’t forget to get out and vote on Aug. 18! Make your voices heard.