POCATELLO --As the first election under his watch draws near, Jay Bingham says he's more eager than anxious.

Bingham, who became the Bannock County's elections administrator and jury commissioner in January after Peg Jardine retired , thrives in the hectic election-night atmosphere. He describes himself as a bit of a political junkie.

"I think that the era that I come from, the 1960s, was a pretty radical time, and I was pretty impressionable at that time," Bingham said, adding the period "burned" the importance of politics into his mind.

Bingham joined the county as a deputy clerk in 1994. He earned a political science degree from Idaho State University in 1988, and he's a 1968 Pocatello High School graduate.

"To me, elections are the Fourth of July all over again. It's our time to say since our Founding Fathers took the time to free us and liberate us from Great Britain, so to speak, the least we can do is Cheap Nike Terminator take the time to vote," Bingham said. "I think it's important to honor the system we have."

For Tuesday's election, polls will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at 58 different polling places, including at schools, businesses, hotels such as the Red Lion and Ramada Inn and the Pocatello and Chubbuck city offices.

ISJ: What does your job entail?

Bingham: Administering the elections and the jury part is orienting juries for jury trials.

ISJ: How much will it cost to run this election in Bannock County?

Bingham: About $50,000.

ISJ: When do you expect to have the results in?

Bingham: By 10-10 :30 p.m.

ISJ: What are the voters interested in this election cycle?

Bingham: There are a couple of races. Geoff Ranere and JoLynn Anderson (for Bannock County assessor), that's probably the one that's got people's attention. At the same level, I think the Otter-Rammell race (for governor) might be pretty interesting.

ISJ: What kind of turnout are you expecting?

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Bingham: I hope that we have 20-25 percent turnout. I think that's realistic. Seventeen to 25 percent is normal turnout for a primary election.

ISJ: When does absentee voting end, and how busy have the absentee polls been?

Bingham: Monday is the last day to vote absentee (at the Courthouse Annex). It will end at 5 p.m. Monday. It's been pretty steady this week. I think it will be about the same (turnout as last primary election).

ISJ: How do we count the votes in Bannock County?

Bingham: We still use the 650 scanners. It's an optical scan ballot.

ISJ: Have we ever had trouble counting our ballots ?

Bingham: In 2006, the technicians had us using ink, which we shouldn't use. We basically had to mark through them with a highlighter that would pick up on the scans. It took us 36 hours to count (the votes).

ISJ: What kind of staffing does the county have ghd hair straighteners on election night?

Bingham: Fifty-eight chief judges are paid, one for each precinct. There are 12 volunteers from each party. They watch us count the votes and help us open up the ballot cans.

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