The Lewis County Auditor’s Office mailed out 20,090 ballots on Wednesday after already mailing out 206 military and overseas ballots in mid-June. Ballots will go to residents across Lewis County ahead of the Aug. 5 primary election, which includes four local office elections and three ballot proposals.
According to a news release announcing the release of the ballots, voters should expect their ballots to arrive the week of July 21. Voters should request a replacement ballot if theirs doesn't arrive by Friday, July 25.
Voters can request a replacement ballot online by going to the “your ballot and voting materials” page at www.votewa.gov, over the phone by calling 360-740-1278, or toll free in Lewis County at 1-800-562-6130, or by going in person to the auditor’s office in the Lewis County Courthouse in Chehalis during office hours from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on election day.
If your address has changed, you can contact the auditor’s office over the phone, in person or go online to www.votewa.gov to update voter registration information.
Ballots are being delivered only to residents in areas affected by one of the seven items being voted on during the Aug. 5 election. The items being voted on include the primary elections for the City of Centralia District 2 City Council seat, City of Winlock Mayor, Winlock School District Director District 2 seat and the Lewis County Fire Protection District No. 5 Board of Commissioners Position 2 seat.
Ballot measures include a Mossyrock School District Educational Programming and Operations Levy, a White Pass School District Educational Programming and Operations Levy and a Lewis County Fire Protection District No. 4 bond measure.
Primary election
For the 2025 election cycle, there will be more than 102 races for local offices throughout Lewis County, but of all those, only four races have more than two candidates and require a primary election for the Aug. 5 election day. The top-two vote getters from each primary race will advance to the general election to be held Nov. 4.
In Centralia, three candidates are running for the District 2 city council seat. They are Ray Chapman-Wilson, Leah Sisemore and Chuck Kifer. In Napavine and the surrounding area, Lewis County Fire Protection District 5 has three people running for Position 2 on the district's board of commissioners. Those are Sam Patrick, Tom Crowson and Rick LeBoeuf.
In Winlock, four people are running to be mayor, including current Mayor Brandon Svenson along with Jodie Curtis, Victoria Marincin and America Lunsford. Three people, Taylor Myers, Stevie Bennett and Jarryd Forler, are running for the District 2 seat on the Winlock School District Board of Directors.
Ballot measures
There are three ballot proposals being voted on in the county. Two are educational programming and operations levies for the White Pass and Mossyrock school districts as well as a bond measure for Lewis County Fire Protection District No. 4 in Morton to build a new fire station.
The Mossyrock School District is taking another run at passing an operations levy after a two-year levy proposal failed by just three votes in the spring special election. The new proposal is for a three-year levy that would replace the district's previous three-year levy just as it expires. The new levy would collect $1,475,686.00 in 2026, $1,647,682.00 in 2027 and $1,741,495 in 2028. The district estimates the average levy rate at $1.27 per $1,000 of assessed property value.
The White Pass School District is looking to pass a four-year educational program and operations levy with a uniform collection of $1,197,644 each year from 2026 through 2029. The estimated levy rate is $0.79 per $1,000 of assessed property value.
Finally the Lewis County Fire Protection District No. 4 in Morton is proposing issuing $3,000,000 in 15-year bonds to fund the construction of a new fire station to replace the district's current building. The resolution initiating the ballot proposal says a new building will “meet the community’s current and future firefighting needs.”
The Morton-based fire district, like the Mossyrock School District, is taking a second run at a proposal that failed in the spring by a slim margin.
The proposal on the spring special election ballot proposed issuing $3,000,000 in 20-year bonds and received 57.36% of the vote in support, but failed to reach the 60% approval threshold necessary to pass a bond.
