Voting Info: Polling Places in Johnston for the Presidential Primary

In one of the final contests of the 2012 Presidential race, Rhode Island holds its primary vote on Tuesday, Apr. 24., since many of them are polling places in town.

Here's a quick run-down of tomorrow's primary, including where you can find your local polling place:

Where do I vote?

Rhode Island Secretary of State Ralph Mollis's office mantains a Voter Information Center polling place search web site, where voters can find where to vote.

Johnston is in Congressional District 2, so all voters will have the same ballot, which the Secretary of State's office has posted here: 2012 Presidential Primary Ballot.

What's the deal?

A primary is one state's vote for candidates who are running for president, prior to the general election in November.

It's also a vote for delegates to their respective parties' conventions, where the final slate of candidates for president is selected.

In Rhode Island, unaffiliated voters may vote on either party's primary ballot. Voters who have a party affiliation must vote in that party's primary.

Who's running?

On the Democratic side, President Barack Obama runs unopposed. There are 15 candidates vying for 11 delegate seats.

Following former Sen. Rick Santorum's decision to drop out of the Republican race — although his name and delegates still appear on the Rhode Island ballot — Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, and Ron Paul remain the three active candidates in the GOP field.

Charles Elson "Buddy" Roemer III, who withdrew from the Republican race, is still running a campaign to earn the Americans Elect and Reform Party nominations.

Each candidate also has a slate of delegates to be chosen.

What about Voter ID?

This year, all Rhode Island voters will be required to show a valid ID prior to voting, which include driver's licenses, passports, school identification cards, and RIPTA bus passes, among others, according to the Secretary of State's Voter ID web page. A photo ID will be required in 2014.

Voters who do not have an ID tomorrow can fill out a provisional ballot, which will be checked against their signature on their voting application (on file with the town's board of canvassers). If the signatures match, the provisional ballot will be considered vaild.

If you'd like to get a Rhode Island Voter ID card, .

Where can I get more information?

Mollis's office has also released a Presidential Preference Primary Guide, which explains the vote tomorrow and other information about voting and deadlines for candidacy and disaffiliation.

Contact the Secretary of State's office at (401) 222-2340, or visit sos.ri.gov