Staff in the Koochiching County Auditor’s Office are preparing this week to send ballots to members of the military as Minnesota’s primary election nears.

The primary election is Aug. 14, with the general election Nov. 6. People elected to positions in November begin their terms in January 2013.

According to county Auditor Bob Peterson, the following races will be included on the Aug. 14 primary ballot in Koochiching County, which will narrow the field of candidates moving onto the November election.

Koochiching County

• Commissioner District 5: Linda Dreher, Mizpah; Karin Elhard, Northome; Chris Pfeifer, Mizpah; Wayne Skoe, Northome; Louis E. Slapnicker, Big Falls.

State

• Minnesota Supreme Court chief justice: Jill Clark, Golden Valley; incumbent Lorie Skjerven Gildea, no address reported; Dan Griffith, International Falls.

• Associate Justice — Supreme Court 4: Alan Nelson, no address listed; David R. Stras, no address listed; Tim Tingelstad, Bemidji.

Federal

• U.S. District 8 Representative: incumbent Chip Cravaack; Jeff Anderson, Duluth; Tarryl L. Clark, Duluth; Richard Nolan, Cross Lake.

• U.S. Senator: Glen R. Anderson Menze, no address reported; Stephen Williams, Austin; Kurt Bills, Rosemount; David Carlson, Woodbury; Bob Carney Jr., Minneapolis; “Dick” Franson, Minneapolis; incumbent Amy Klobuchar, St. Paul; Jack Edward Shepard, St. Paul; Darryl Stanton, Bloomington.

The following races will move directly to the November ballot:

• Senate District 3: Jennifer Havlick, Two Harbors; Tom Bakk, Cook.

• House District 3A: Jim Tuomala, Babbitt; David Dill, Crane Lake.

Other elections

The filing period for positions in the following governments open July 31 and close Aug. 14 and are decided in the November election.

International Falls City Council

The seats are 4-year terms.

• Mayor, now held by Shawn Mason, who has served in the position since 2005; she announced in April she will not seek reelection.

• At large, now held by Tim “Chopper” McBride, who has served in the position since 2005; McBride announced in May that he will not seek reelection.

International Falls School District

The seats are 4-year terms.

• Three at-large seats now held by Michelle Hebner, Mark Lassila, Stuart Nordquist.

South Koochiching- Rainy River School District (Indus and Northome schools)

The seats are 4-year terms.

• Three at-large seats now held by Andy Dreher, Brian Dreher and Ralph Lewis.

Big Falls City Council

• Mayor, now held by Rod Burmeister, who has held the position since 2010; the seat is a 2-year term.

• Council, two seats, currently held by Marta Lindemanis and Beth Pihlaja, both 4-year terms.

• A special election will be held for an open council seat vacated by Donna Dauphinais, who has served in the position since 2010. The elected individual will serve the remaining two years in the 4-year term.

Littlefork City Council

• Mayor, now held by Mike Fort, who has held the position since 2010; the seat is a 2-year term.

• Council, two seats, currently held by Sandy Heem who has held the position since 2008 and Loren Lehman who has held the position since 2004, both seats are 4-year terms.

Ranier City Council

The seats are 4-year terms.

• Mayor, now held by Ed Oerichbauer, who has held the position since 2006, the seat will be a 4-year term following the 2012 election.

• Council, two seats, held by Dan Klocek, who has held the position since 2004, and John Walls, who has held the position since 2008.