Preparations for the 2014 primary election are underway throughout communities in Carbon County, where politicos have been busy with the petition-signing process that enables candidates for offices to be filled by the electorate to get their names on the ballots.

This year is a state and federal election, as opposed to a county and municipal election, where officials are elected on the county, borough, township and school board levels. This time around, voters will choose Pennsylvania governor/lieutenant governor, U.S. Congress, Pennsylvania Senate and Pennsylvania House of Representatives positions.In addition, each of the major parties (Democratic and Republican) will elect people to serve on their parties' respective state committees, and each party will also elect committee members in each of the 51 election districts in the county or in municipal at-large balloting.The primary election will be held from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, May 20, in each of the county's election districts.The petition signing process began Feb. 18 and runs through March 11. Here is a look at what to expect as petition circulators make their rounds throughout the county seeking signatures of registered voters:Governor/lieutenantRepublican Gov. Tom Corbett and Lt. Gov. Jim Cawley are seeking re-election to their second four-year terms.The governor has opposition within his party in the primary from Montgomery County Attorney Bob Guzzardi.There are seven candidates seeking the Democratic nominations: Rob McCord, Katie McGinty, Tom Wolf, John Hanger, Allyson Schwartz, Jack Wagner and Jo Ellen Litz.Aspiring to the lieutenant governor slot on the ballot are Harrisburg city councilman Brad Koplinski, former U.S. Congressman Mark Critz, state Sen. Mike Stack, former Penn State assistant coach Jay Paterno, Bradford County Commissioner Mark Smith and Harrisburg city official Brenda Alton.U.S. CongressIncumbent U.S. House of Representatives members Matt Cartwright (D-17th) and Republican Lou Barletta (R-11th) are seeking re-election. Both congressmen represent Carbon County.Cartwright represents the townships of East Penn, Franklin, Lower Towamensing, Mahoning and Towamensing and the boroughs of Bowmanstown, Jim Thorpe, Lansford, Lehighton, Nesquehoning, Palmerton, Parryville, Summit Hill and Weissport in Carbon County; all of Schuylkill County; and parts of Northampton, Luzerne, Lackawanna and Monroe counties, including the townships of Chestnuthill, Polk and Ross.Barletta serves constituents who live in the townships of Banks, Kidder, Lausanne, Lehigh, Packer and Penn Forest and the boroughs of Beaver Meadows, East Side and Weatherly in Carbon County; all of Columbia, Wyoming and Northumberland counties; and parts of Cumberland, Dauphin, Luzerne, Montour and Perry counties.The change to two congressmen in the county took effect with the redistricting of Pa.'s congressional districts following the 2010 Census. Previously, only Barletta represented the county, as did his predecessor, Paul Kanjorski.Cartwright has no primary opposition. Two Republicans are seeking their party's nomination and the right to meet Cartwright in November. They are Northampton County resident Matthew Dietz and Schuylkill County Coroner Dr. David Moylan.Barletta is also unopposed within his party but will face the winner of a Democratic race between two Dauphin County residents, Andy Ostroski and Micah Sims.Pa. SenateThe redistricting also affected the Pennsylvania Senate's representation in Carbon County, as Sen. David Argall (R-29th) will no longer represent people in the county.Under the new format, all of Carbon County now lies in the 14th District, where the current incumbent is Sen. John Yudichak. He is running for re-election. To date, there are no announced Democratic or Republican opponents challenging him.Pa. HouseWhereas the redistricting resulted in the Senate representation being consolidated to one official, that is not the case in the Pa. House of Representatives. Before redistricting, Rep. Doyle Heffley (R-122nd) and his predecessor, Rep. Keith McCall, represented all of Carbon County. Now, however, Summit Hill Borough has been cut out of the 122nd Legislative District and has been included in the 124th Legislative District with residents in parts of Schuylkill and Berks counties.Rep. Heffley is running for re-election to his third two-year term in the 122nd District. He is unopposed on the GOP slate. So far, one Democrat, Patti Borger of Mahoning Township, has announced a candidacy to challenge Heffley for the 122nd District seat.In the 124th, Rep. Jerry Knowles, a Republican, is seeking re-election to the seat that includes parts of east Schuylkill County and now Summit Hill. Knowles has an opponent in the primary as Republican James "Jamie" Barton, a businessman from East Brunswick Township, is providing the challenge. There is no Democratic candidate to date.