Early voting in primaries will impact campaigning

Pignanelli & Webb: Happy Father's Day, all you fathers out there. Yes, mothers (deservedly) get a lot more attention on Mother's Day, but maybe you'll score a new pair of socks.

Time flies by quickly in an election year. A week from Tuesday is primary election day in Utah. However, voting is already under way because of a new law allowing citizens to vote (beyond just absentee ballots) two weeks before the election. This seemingly minor change in law is impacting how candidates can conduct primary and general campaigns. Last-minute attacks will no longer be as effective as some voters will already have made their decisions.

While it seems not many candidates had strategies in place to take advantage of early voting, more will in future elections as they adapt and see how the process works and how many people vote early. For those who did try to impact early voting, we will soon have a glimpse of how they fared in the primary election. Obviously, whatever tactics are perceived to be the most successful in June will be repeated throughout the state in November.

A number of interesting primary elections, mostly Republican, are under way in the state. Two deserving of mention are House District 19 and Senate District 26. Most of the following observations belong to Pignanelli, as Webb has been lazy, not closely following legislative races:

Pignanelli: House District 19 (south Davis) is the one to watch. The five-term incumbent, Sheryl Allen, is well-known among politicos for her deep legislative experience. Even her detractors admit she possesses intelligence and savvy. As someone willing to openly challenge her more conservative colleagues, Allen is the darling of Davis County Republican moderates (yes, they still exist). Such moderation usually elicits opposition from the right, and this year is no exception.