It’s “only” the Primary Election, but many local races will be shaped — if not outright determined — by today’s results.

Primary Election ballots are specific to each party and precinct. Republicans, Democrats and unaffiliated voters each get different ballots, and, as is typical, most of today’s primary action will be on the Republican side.

Park County Republicans will:

• Choose which of the seven Park County Commission candidates they’d like to see on the board. Only two can advance.

• Select a candidate to represent Powell in the Wyoming House of Representatives from a four-way race between Dave Blevins, Billy Greaham, David Kellett and Steve Walker.

• Pick a winner among long-time state Rep. Pat Childers, R-Cody, and challengers TD Ball, Charles Cloud and David Northrup to represent eastern Cody, Heart Mountain, the Willwood and Ralston areas in the House.

• Cast ballots for either long-term state Sen. Hank Coe, R-Cody, or Tea Party challenger Bob Berry to represent eastern Park County in the Wyoming Senate.

Democrats will advance no local contenders for the state Legislature or the commission on the ballot unless they are written in today.

Local Republicans and Democrats each will be helping to choose nominees for Wyoming’s U.S. Congressional seats — one in the U.S. House of Representatives and one in the U.S. Senate. The two parties also will vote in local party leaders, called precinct committeemen and women.

Republicans, Democrats and unaffiliated voters also will weigh in on the non-partisan city-level races. In the case of Powell, however, all six candidates running for four Powell City Council seats and Powell mayor will advance to the general election ballot unless there is a write-in challenge.

Voters who wish to can switch political parties at the polls. Folks also can register to vote at their polling places or correct their addresses. All that’s needed is a form of identification, such as a driver’s license.

Residents in and around Powell vote at the Park County Fairgrounds at 655 East Fifth St. Ralston residents cast ballots at the Mountain View Club on Road 18, Garland citizens at the Garland Community Church and Clark voters at the Clark Pioneer Recreation Center.

As of Monday afternoon, Park County Clerk Jerri Torczon said her office had received 1,651 absentee ballots. That’s up about 10 percent from the same point in 2010.

Live election results on Tribune blog

The Powell Tribune will provide live updates and analysis of Park County’s Primary Election results as they roll in tonight.

Visitors to the Powell Tribune’s blog — reachable via www.powelltribune.com or directly at http://blog.powelltribune.com — will get coverage of the races that goes beyond the raw numbers to explain what’s happening.

The Park County Elections office will be posting the updating numbers on the county’s elections webpage throughout the night, accessible at www.parkcountyelections.net.

For statewide races, such as U.S Congress, results for the entire state will be available on the Secretary of State’s website, http://soswy.state.wy.us.

The polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. and the first results typically start arriving sometime after 8 p.m. The Tribune will start its coverage sometime around 7:30 p.m.

County elections deputy resigns

The Park County employee responsible for overseeing the Park County Elections process, Elections Deputy Molly Cozzens, resigned her post on Saturday.

“I did finish work on Friday and went in today (Saturday) to ensure that the election could proceed as far as my staff is concerned,” Cozzens wrote in an email to the Tribune. “I regret the necessity of my decision.”

She said her advice had not been taken on a couple potential problems.

Torczon confirmed Cozzens’ resignation and said some employees who’d previously been cross-trained on elections had stepped in.

“We got fully staffed over there and all the equipment’s delivered and we’re in pretty good shape,” Torczon said, adding that she’s hoping for a smooth election.