Do your homework and vote for the best person

If this is your first primary in Idaho there are a few things you need to know before you vote.

We have three political parties in Idaho. About 40% of the state are conservative Democrats. They pay taxes but have been gerrymandered out of power. Forty percent of the voters are Republicans and 20% are the Freedom Caucus.

Freedom Caucus candidates are on the Republican ballot, but they are not Republicans or Libertarians. They used to be the Tea Party. Here are some of the issues they fought for this year: No certification required for public charter schoolteachers, no loan forgiveness for rural teachers, no optional full-day kindergarten, less teacher input on curriculum, no to funding libraries, and that is just the craziness of their educational efforts.

Anyone who dares to disagree with them, like Jim Woodward, will be lied about and called every dirty name in the book.

If you want a meaningful voice you must register as a Republican. Like a lot of Idahoans, I vote for the person not the party, but independents have no vote. The Democratic ballot is open, but the Republicans make it as hard as possible to vote in the primary. So just go in now and register as Republican.

Vote on May 17 because that is when the real election is held. Don’t fall for the lies, do your homework, and vote for the best person.

MARY HALEY

Sandpoint