Early returns for the Nov. 6 election reveal some promising news: Washington voters aren’t sitting out this year’s important midterms.
In several counties, the rate of ballots returned so far is approaching the pace in the 2016 presidential election — a sign of incredible engagement.
As of Wednesday morning, 31.9 percent of voters had returned their ballots in King County — just shy of the 32.8 percent of ballots that had been returned at the same point in the 2016 cycle. Similar results were coming in from Snohomish County, where turnout was matching where it was at the same point in 2016.
Still, statewide, the overall percentage of ballots returned six days before the election was lagging where it was two years ago, according to the Office of the Secretary of State. While that’s typical for a non-presidential year, voters shouldn’t underestimate how much the midterm elections can influence state and national policy.
Your voice matters. And, when it comes to what gets politicians to sit up and pay attention, your vote is your voice.
Prepaid postage on all ballot-return envelopes now means you don’t even need to scrounge for a stamp, making it easier than ever to vote in the all-mail election.
Yet election officials say it’s not clear whether prepaid postage is driving increased turnout this year.
Rather, many counties’ high turnout seems driven by what’s on the ballot locally. In Chelan and Kittitas counties, for instance, voters appear to be turning out in force to choose who will replace U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert, R-Auburn, who is retiring from his 8th Congressional District seat. The race between Republican Dino Rossi and Democrat Kim Schrier has drawn considerable interest, spurring millions in campaign spending.
“As of last night, we are about 700 (ballots) ahead of where we were in the presidential election two years ago,” Kittitas County Auditor Jerry Pettit said Wednesday afternoon. “That’s unusual — and they’re still coming in.”
Meanwhile, two other high profile congressional races are likely helping fuel high turnout in Spokane and Clark counties: the 5th Congressional District race in Eastern Washington and the 3rd Congressional District in Southwest Washington, respectively.
But voters living elsewhere still have plenty of important choices to make. All Washington voters are asked to weigh in on a U.S. Senate race, as well as statewide ballot measures to enact new gun laws and fees on pollution. Many competitive state legislative races are also on the ballot.
While engagement appears fairly high so far, voters who have yet to return their ballots shouldn’t get complacent. With several days remaining until the voting period ends Tuesday, there is still time to drop your ballot in the mail or place it in a ballot-drop box before Election Day. Ballots must be postmarked by Tuesday, Nov. 6, or placed in a dropbox by 8 p.m. that day to be counted.
This is your chance, Washington.
So get out there and vote.
