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How Washington recounts ensure every vote matters

How Washington recounts ensure every vote matters

As 2018’s closely-watched General Election draws near, it may prove useful to read up about how recounts help ensure fair and secure elections for Washington’s candidates and voters. Nearly a decade ago in this space, we were prompted by a handful of very close election outcomes to summarize the basics of the process, which is also described on our Elections page here. Under state law RCW 29A.64.021, recounts are required in elections in which an apparent winner’s margin of victory…

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WA voters pick their Primary favorites

WA voters pick their Primary favorites

Washington voters have narrowed the field for the General Election, including the hotly contested race for Seattle Mayor, three special state Senate races and literally hundreds of important local offices. By Wednesday midday, counties had tallied over 660,000 ballots after carefully verifying the voter signatures. That amounted to 20.5 percent of those who received ballots, a number sure to increase as Tuesday evening’s drop-box ballots and those still in the mail are added in. Washington’s election law allows any ballot…

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Hey, number nerds: WA Primary turnout, by age & gender…

Hey, number nerds: WA Primary turnout, by age & gender…

Yes, it’s true, we are a font of information for demographics geeks. Here, for instance, are fresh numbers on the 2010 primary participation, by age sector and gender. The percentages to the right of each category is the percentage of the total turnout of about 1.5 million. The 18-24 year olds were 4 percent of the total, and those 25-34 added another 6 percent.  In other words, voters 35 and older were 90 percent of the participating electorate.  The numbers…

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Simpler, cheaper to run for local office

Simpler, cheaper to run for local office

Precinct committee officers (PCOs), the basic building block for the political parties, will be elected as part of the statewide primary on Aug. 17.  Thanks to a streamlining bill that was passed at the request of the Secretary of State, the $1 filing fee is no longer required, and PCO candidates can file online. The filings will be done with the County Auditor.  Before the law change, a single-county candidate could file in their home county or with the Secretary…

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Top 2: Federal judge keeps some party challenges alive

Top 2: Federal judge keeps some party challenges alive

Washington’s voter-approved Top 2 Primary system, which was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court last year, got a mixed-blessing ruling from U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour on Thursday. Secretary of State Sam Reed, represented by Attorney General Rob McKenna, had urged the court to dismiss a continuing legal challenge by the political parties that has persisted ever since the voters approved the new wide-open winnowing primary in 2004 as Initiative 872, even following the strong 7-2 ruling by the…

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You’ve got mail! (Or you will soon … )

You’ve got mail! (Or you will soon … )

Keep an eye out for your ballot when you check your mailbox! Ballots are being mailed out to registered voters across Washington State for the August 18 Primary that will impact 36 of Washington’s 39 counties. Fifteen counties will vote on state-level races. Today, King County sent out over 1 million ballots to registered voters. All counties have already mailed out ballots on July 17 to voters serving in the military and those living overseas. If you don’t get a ballot, it…

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August 18 primary is underway

August 18 primary is underway

Over 60,000 ballots were mailed out yesterday to military and overseas voters for the county-level August 18 primary election to make sure those voters receive their ballots on time. Counties could choose to fax a blank ballot, e-mail a blank ballot, sending a ballot by mail and send a ballot by priority mail or other delivery service. Military and overseas voters still have to print out the ballot and mail the hard copy back to the county in which they are registered….

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