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Today's calendar: Cast your primary election ballot

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Wow! That was our response to learning that about 7,900 voters have already cast ballots in the Sept. 11 primary election.

The Tucson City Clerk's Office has received more than 42,000 early ballot requests. As of Wednesday afternoon, about 7,900 ballots had been returned, said City Clerk Kathleen S. Detrick, who called the return "phenomenal."

It's definitely a remarkable return rate, especially for a thin primary election in which all parties do not have candidates.

Early ballots mailings started late last week. The 7,900 returned so far already surpass the total early ballots cast in each of the past four city primary elections.

Detrick attributes most of this year's response to postcards the clerk's office sent earlier this summer reminding folks of the early ballot availability.

The early response means good voter turnout for the primary, Detrick said. "It's important that people find it exciting to vote."

We agree. An engaged Tucson electorate is a positive sign for our community's future. Here's the lineup for the primary:

● Republican Mayor Bob Walkup and the Green Party's Dave Croteau are ballot candidates. Walkup has no Republican opposition. Michael Toney, Democrat, and John Kromko, Green, are on the clerk's list of write-in candidates.

Kromko, a former state legislator, filed as a write-in candidate before the Aug. 2 deadline and promptly announced Aug. 6 that he was not going to run. However, Detrick said Wednesday that Kromko had not officially withdrawn.

● Democrats Regina Romero and Kenneth Green face off in the Ward 1 Democratic primary. There are no Republican candidates. Beryl Baker filed as a write-in Green candidate.

● In Ward 2, Democrats Rodney Glassman and Robert Reus want the seat of independent Carol West, who chose not to seek re-election. The Democratic primary winner will face Republican Lori A. Oien.

● Ward 4 incumbent Democratic Councilwoman Shirley C. Scott and Republican Daniel L. Spahr have no party opposition.

We hope the oh-wow interest in early ballots does indeed indicate an engaged electorate. By the way, you still have time to request early ballots — deadline is 5 p.m. Aug. 31.

• Sept. 11 — primary election

• Nov. 6 — general and special election

• Go to http://www.tucsonaz.gov/clerks/ to request an early ballot. Click on "Election Statistics" and check out the early voting requests and other nifty election data.

• Voter registration cutoff for the September election was Aug. 13. To register for the general election or update registration information, go online at http://www.recorder.pima.gov for information.