It's time to sit down – and vote

SPOKANE COUNTY – The Aug. 4 primary election is right around the corner, with ballots required to be mailed and postmarked by no later than next Tuesday to be counted.

According to information from the county Elections Department website, as of Monday, July 27, 49,607 of the 340,883 ballots mailed had been returned — meaning just 14.53 percent of voters have made their decisions on statewide races such as governor and secretary of state to local levy issues. On the West Plains, 14.24 percent — 14,17 — of the 104,060 ballots issued for Legislative District 6 had been returned while 12.66 percent — 773 — of the 6,091 ballots mailed in Fire District 10 were returned.

Spokane County elections manager Mike Laughlin said this a normal ballot return rate for a primary election. Ballots were mailed on Friday, July 17.

“We get 25 percent returned the first week, 25 percent returned the second week and 50 percent the final week,” Laughlin said. “The first week (July 20 – 24) hit right on the number.”

Ballot tabulation began last Tuesday, July 21, although Laughlin said “technically” the department isn’t counting ballots. It’s a two-step process to record votes.

The “first pass” sorts the ballots into batches while a machine scanning the exterior envelope’s bar code to determine if ballot being returned is from a resident eligible to cast a vote in the county. If yes, the ballot is sorted into one bin, if no it goes into a second bin for additional confirmation work.

Ballots then go through a “second pass” where they are opened and the security envelope containing the actual ballot is removed. These are again put into batches, with volunteers taking each batch into separate rooms where the security envelopes are opened, the ballots scanned for any marks and then the votes tabulated.

“This helps us maintain voter confidentiality,” Laughlin said. “They will open the ballots and make sure the security envelopes match the batch numbers (and quantities). It’s humans who do the separating and the counting. It’s just the machines that do the sorting.”

Besides statewide races, West Plains ballots included electing both representatives to the state House. In Position 1, incumbent Mike Volz (Republican) was facing a challenge from Zach Zappone (Democrat) while in Position 2, incumbent Jenny Graham (Republican) faced Democrats Tom McGarry and Christian M. McLachlan.

Under Washington’s top-two primary system, both Volz and Zappone will move on to the general election in November while two of the three candidates in Position 2 will advance. In races with more than two candidates, the two candidates who receive the most votes in the primary will advance to the General Election, regardless of any party affiliation.

Voters in Fire District 10 are being asked to approve a 10-year renewal of the emergency medical services levy.

Additionally, voters in the 7th and 9th Legislative districts will also be electing state representatives. In the 9th — which includes all of Spokane County south of Cheney — incumbent Republican Sen. Mark Schoesler faces a challenge from Democrat Jenn Goulet while incumbent Mary Dye (Republican) faces Brett Borden (Democrat) in the House Position 1 race. Incumbent Joe Schmick is unchallenged for House Position 2.

Like the 6th, both House positions are up for grabs in the 7th, which includes part of Spokane County north and northwest of Medical Lake. Republican incumbent Jacquelin Maycumber faces Democrat Georgia D. Davenport in Position 1 while Republican incumbent Joel Kretz takes on Independent JJ Wandler for Position 2.

Ballots must be postmarked no later than Aug. 4. Ballots can also be dropped off at several drop boxes on the West Plains by 8 p.m. election day.

Drop boxes are located at the Airway Heights Library, 1213 S. Lundstrom St.; Cheney Library, 610 1st St. and Medical Lake library, 321 E. Herb St. Ballots can also be dropped off at the county Elections Department drop box at 1033 W. Gardner Ave. in Spokane.

Unofficial results will be available at 8:15 on Aug. 4. The election will be certified Aug. 18

John McCallum can be reached at [email protected].