Idaho's primary election is a week away and civic-minded leaders said it is a good time to get ready to cast your ballot.

Residents will fan out May 19 for the 2026 primary.

Karianne Fallow, state director for AARP Idaho, said it is a big year with many seats up for election and she emphasized voting is critical. She encouraged people to visit the Idaho Secretary of State's website for information and voting deadlines for the primary election, as well as the November general election.

"It is one of the easiest, most user-friendly tools that we have available to us to find out how to register to vote, request an absentee ballot, search for filed candidates and we can even view a sample ballot," Fallow outlined.

Voters will select party candidates for federal, state and local elections on this year's primary ballot. Fallow pointed out Idahoans age 50 and over made up a majority of the general electorate in 2024. She suggested people in the age group ensure they have a way to submit their absentee ballot or get to the polls on Election Day this year.

Fallow noted a top national priority for AARP is preserving Social Security and she hopes voters will support candidates who want to save it.

"We will never stop fighting to protect and strengthen Social Security payments that people have earned," Fallow emphasized. "It's one of the most successful and most popular initiatives in American history and really the bedrock for retirement security."

Another key issue for AARP is support for caregivers. Fallow added with more than 400,000 caregivers in Idaho, it is an important election issue in the state as well. Idahoans must present a photo ID or sign a personal identification affidavit when voting in person.

Source: Public News Service