With party primaries just over two weeks away, Lincoln Countyelection commissioners are continuing efforts to make sure votersare properly registered and in their correct precincts.

Commissioners said this year’s redrawing of supervisor districtlines has meant more work. However, they have not encountered anydifficulties in modifying polls books to account for the estimated2,000 district and precinct changes due to the redistricting.

“We haven’t had any problems,” said District 1 Commissioner JohnHightower, chairman of the five-member panel. “We’ve just got toget them in the right place.”

While the individual parties will oversee the Democrat andRepublican primaries on Aug. 5 and Aug. 26, county voter rolls areused for the elections. Commissioners, who oversee special andgeneral elections, said it is important to keep voter rollsaccurate.

To assist in that effort, Hightower said voters should notifythe circuit clerk’s office whenever they move to a new address.That will allow the voter to be re-registered at their new addressand removed from the roll at their old one.

Also, Hightower said, a change in marital status is a reason tocontact election officials.

“Any time there’s a change, they need to let us know,” Hightowersaid.

Hightower said it is very important for election officials to benotified in cases of deaths. Commissioners monitor obituaryinformation, but sometimes are not aware of Lincoln County voterswho die after moving out of state.

“That causes an overload in the poll books,” Hightower said.

Hightower specifically mentioned county voters who have died innursing homes out of state. He said relatives need to letcommissioners know about the death.

“We do not get a notice back unless the family tells us,”Hightower said.

Being convicted of certain crimes can also cause a person tolose voting privileges.

“They’re removed from the polls,” Hightower said.

Disenfranchising crimes include: arson, armed robbery, bigamy,bribery, embezzlement, extortion, felony bad checks, forgery,larceny, murder, obtaining money or goods under false pretense,perjury, rape, receiving stolen property, robbery, theft, timberlarceny and unlawful taking of a motor vehicle.

Another poll book monitoring practice is through jurysummonses.

Hightower said a registered voter who receives a jury summons,but cannot be located, is placed on the inactive voter list. Votersare returned to the active list after they participate in a primaryor an election.

Hightower said Lincoln County now has approximated 23,000registered voters.

District 4 Election Commissioner Charles Smith said he hadnoticed more 18- and 19-year-olds signing up to vote.

“They’ve been real good about registering to vote,” Smith said,adding that younger voters could have an impact on some of thisyear’s contests. “They can make a difference.”

Hightower agreed. He commented on voter interest in somecontests and how turnout could affect them.

“I look for some of the races to be pretty tight this year,”Hightower said.