Today is deadline to register for Feb. 7 presidential primary

Today is the last day for unregistered voters to register to vote in Missouri's Feb. 7 presidential primary election.

Callaway County Clerk Denise Hubbard is predicting a voter turnout lower than the last Missouri presidential primary election in 2008 because President Barack Obama has only token Democratic opposition and Missouri Republicans will decide their national convention delegates through a caucus rather than a primary.

But Hubbard said there still is interest in the presidential primary and about 100 people have come to the Callaway County Clerk's office to register in time for the presidential primary election on Feb. 7.

In the Feb. 5, 2008, presidential primary election, Hubbard said 32.7 percent of the registered voters in Callaway County participated in the election.

"I expect the turnout to be much less this year," Hubbard said.

Hubbard said it is not necessary for Callaway County residents to register to vote if they already have a valid registration and have not moved to a new residence since their last voter registration.

As a general rule, only unregistered voters and those who have moved are the only people who need to register to vote.

Today is the deadline to register to vote in the statewide presidential primary election on Tuesday, Feb. 7, and the last day to register to vote in the April 3 city and school election is March 7.

The last day to register to vote in the Aug. 7 county, state and federal primary election is July 11, and the last day to register for the Nov. 6 general election is Oct. 10.

To help the tornado-stricken people of Dumas and surroundings, donations can be made to the Delta Area Disaster Relief Fund, care of the Delta Area Community Foundation, P.O. Box 894, Dumas, AR, 71639, or through the Arkansas Community Foundation, 700 S. Rock St., Little Rock, AR, 72202.