Folks in 11 Washington counties are voting as we speak, and it’s one of the final times a May election will be held.

Under terms of newly approved legislation that will scale down from four to two the number of dates authorized for springtime elections, the May date will disappear after the May, 2011,  elections are run. The March election dates will be eliminated right away, leaving dates in February and April as the special election opportunities. The primary will remain in August and the general election in November. 

Secretary of State Reed and the County Auditors requested the scaling back, to save money and staff time, to create a more consistent and predictable election schedule, and to give election officials more time for updating voter rolls, training election staff and improving election integrity.

Ballots were sent out on May 1 and must be returned with a postmark no later than next Tuesday or returned directly to the auditor’s offices. The elections will be certified by June 3. The elections, mostly school and fire district measures, are in portions of Benton, Clallam, Grant, Grays Harbor, Kitsap, Lewis, Mason, Okanogan, Pacific, Walla Walla, and Yakima counties.