It’s Primary Election Time!

Ballots for the Primary election are now out and, if you’re a registered voter, you should have received yours in the mail. If you are registered to vote and have not received your ballot, contact the Thurston County Elections office immediately at (360) 786-5408 (TTY (360) 754-2933).

There’s a ballot drop box, located in the parking lot of the Griffin Fire Department at 3707 Steamboat Loop NW. It’ll close at 8 PM on August 19 (election night). This is a real easy way to get your ballot in, without spending a dime on postage.

Not yet a registered voter? You can still register in time to vote in this Fall’s General Election. Click here to register to vote online through the Secretary of State’s Office.

Washington has a new primary. It’s not a “Blanket” primary and it’s not a “Pick-a-Party” primary. Back in 2004, voters approved I-872, which created a “Top-2” primary system. This was finally court-approved by the U.S. Supreme Court this last March. The Top-2 primary means that every candidate appears on your ballot and the top two candidates in each race move to the final General Election on November 4. In a Top-2 primary, it’s possible that the top two vote-getters in a specific race will belong to the same political party.

Judicial and non-partisan races are handled differently. For example, for the Superintendent of Public Instruction, Supreme Court, and Court of Appeals, if any one candidate receives a majority of votes (50% + 1 vote), he or she will be the only candidate appearing on the General Election Ballot. If no single candidate receives a majority, the two candidates receiving the highest number of votes will appear on the General Election Ballot.

For the Thurston County Superior Court, if any one candidate receives a majority of votes (50% + 1 vote) in the Primary, that candidate is elected to the position and the race will NOT appear on the General Election ballot unless a declaration of write-in candidacy is received within ten days after the Primary Election.

It’s particularly worth pointing out is there are some judicial races in Thurston County that will be settled by the Primary Election, and not by the General Election. Judicial candidates are, in my opinion, some of the most difficult for voters. Luckily, there is some help.

VotingForJudges.org is an award-winning web site which nicely lays out the candidates, their credentials, and any endorsements. Click here to visit the Thurston County elections page on the VotingForJudges.org web site.

Thank you, all you Griffin area homeowners who are both registered and actually vote!

Thurston County Elections has an excellent web site. Click here to go there.

— MARK MESSINGER

Posted in Elections.