Senate District 40 special primary election underway

The Senate District 40 special primary election is underway in parts of the Coachella Valley.

The election encompasses all or portions of Blythe, Cathedral City, Coachella, East Blythe, Indio, Mecca and Thousand Palms.

Four regular candidates and a write-in candidate want to fill the seat left vacant when Juan Vargas got elected to Congress last November.

The regular candidates are:

–Ben Hueso (D), California State Assemblymember

–Anna Nevenic (D), Nurse/Author

–Hector Raul Gastelum (R), Businessman

–Xanthi Gionis (R), Professor/Businesswoman/Author

To find your assigned polling place, please go to the Registrar of Voters office website atwww.voteinfo.netor call (951) 486-7200. Polls are open from 7 a.m. through 8 p.m.

You also may cast a ballot in the Registrar of Voters office on Election Day between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. The Registrar of Voters office is located at 2724 Gateway Drive in Riverside.

All ballots, including vote-by-mail ballots, must be in the possession of the Registrar of Voters by 8 p.m. on Election Day to be counted. Ballots with postmarks before the deadline are not accepted and cannot be counted if they reach the registrar’s office after tomorrow’s 8 p.m. deadline.

Registrar of Voters Kari Verjil encourages every eligible voter to cast a ballot in the election.