Washington’s 2016 Presidential Primary ballots are being mailed to voters this week, and Secretary of State Kim Wyman is urging a robust turnout.

“It’s Washington’s turn to be heard,” Wyman says. “It’s true that we are late on the election calendar this year, but I have honestly never seen Washington voters so engaged in the Presidential Primary contests on both sides of the aisle.

“Both of the presumptive nominees are still hoping to go over the top with their national convention delegates during the final group of primary states, including the West Coast neighbors of Oregon, Washington and California.”

Ballots are being mailed to voters from the 39 county election offices this week, with most counties mailing on Wednesday and Thursday. About 65,000 military and overseas ballots were mailed weeks ago. Ballots may be voted as soon as they arrive.

Voters are required by law to designate the party of their choice and then vote only in that party’s primary.

The ballot postmark deadline is May 24, but state Elections Director Lori Augino suggests that voters use free, secure drop boxes provided by the counties. Return by drop box must be done before 8 p.m., May 24, but Augino urges voters to return them sooner in the election period if possible.

Wyman noted that the Presidential Primary is a regular state election mandated in state law and financed in the current budget approved by both parties and chambers in the Legislature. Election night results will be tallied and posted, with opening day numbers available after 8 p.m. Daily updates will be provided after that.

Results will be available at our vote.wa.gov website and on free smartphone apps, WA State Election Results.

In 2015, Wyman proposed to have the Presidential Primary moved to March 8, but her plan was rejected by state Democratic Party leaders.   She said her office is preparing legislation for the 2017 session to change the default date (fourth Tuesday in May) in the Initiative to the Legislature that created the primary with strong bipartisan support in 1989.

Wyman continues to urge both parties to honor the results of the primary in allocating national convention delegates starting in 2020. Republicans are using this year’s state-run primary results; Democrats are using their party-run caucuses, but some party activists are promoting a switch to primary in 2020, with caucuses retained for selecting actual delegates, party-building and platform discussion.

Earlier this week, Ted Cruz and John Kasich withdrew from the race on the Republican side. Their names appear on the Washington primary ballot, which was printed weeks ago, as does Ben Carson, who halted his campaign earlier, but did not respond to repeated requests to submit paperwork removing him from the ballot. Donald Trump is the other GOP candidate on the ballot; Democrats are Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.

Even with the newly narrowed field, Wyman encourages a strong turnout for the primary as an opportunity for hundreds of thousands of voters to express themselves. She noted the primaries historically have engaged 10 times more voters than the caucus/convention process.

“The Presidential Primary is for all – it gives our state a voice in the process.  Our Legislature and governor, Democrats and Republicans in both chambers, voted to fund this election. I know citizens are eager to have their voices heard.”