Secretary of State Ben Ysursa is spending $200,000 to buy billboards and ads and take other measures to inform voters about Idaho's first-ever closed Republican primary May 15. Ada County Clerk Chris Rich has hired 100 extra pollworkers to answer questions on Election Day. Candidates, meanwhile, are scrambling to capture reliable absentee voters who request ballots by mail. That makes for some confusion as well. Last week, Republican Sen. Mitch Toryanski of Boise sent one of his district's most prominent Democrats — state party Treasurer Susan Eastlake — a letter thanking her for associating with the GOP/Dan Popkey, Idaho Statesman. More here.

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