We have a primary election coming up Sept. 12 – and now’s the time to do your homework if you’re not acquainted with the candidates on the ballot. In other words, this is the time to “cram for the exam.” Don’t wait until election day to start making up your mind. The primary, of course, is statewide, looking to the Nov. 7 general election. The campaign oratory thus far has been fairly-subdued in this off-presidential year election. Unfortunately, in primary elections, many voters seem to stay away from the polls but vote in the November round. If the assumption is that primaries aren’t important, that idea should be squelched. Many a candidate has been eliminated in the primary because his supporters didn’t bother to vote. Primaries are indeed vital although oft-times the ballot is short as is the case for the Utah County voting a week from Tuesday. There are five contests on the party ballots – four on the Republican side and one on the Democratic. Five non-partisan contests will appear on both ballots – for state school board, local school boards, and justice of the peace for Precinct No. 6. Wide interest seems to be focusing on Republican primary races for the two county commission nominations. H. Jerry Bradshaw and E. Dee Olpin are vieing for the right to face incumbent Yukus Inouye in the two-year commission race in November; and Cleve C. Child is challenging incumbent Kenneth J. Pinegar in the primary contest for the Republican nomination for fouryear commissioner. The winner will face Democrat Glen Larsen in November. Another race that is commanding more than average attention pits incumbent Noall Wootton against Wayne Watson for the GOP nomination for county attorney, the winner to face Casey Christensen, Democrat, in the final election. A few things for the voter to remember: – In the primary, you must decide which party ballot to vote. You can’t vote both sides. The party ballot you don’t vote will be discarded. – All voters may vote the nonpartisan ballots for their districts. – If y0u’re not registered as a voter, it’s too late now to get on the rolls for the primary. Sept. 1 was the deadline. After the primary, there’ll be opportunity to get registered for the November vote. – An official list of polling places will be published in the Herald Sept. 5 and carried in the county’s weekly newspapers. We suggest you clip the hst. – Absentee ballots are now available for persons who will be out of the county on election day. You can vote these ballots until Sept. 11 at 5 p.m. Voters who are confined to their beds may request ballots. The requests may be hand-delivered but all ballots must go out in the mail. The last day for mail-outs will be Sept, B. Time is short. Start now to get election-oriented. With the primary slated Sept. 13, it may be later than you think.