Primary Ballots And Voters Guides Are In The Mail

Election Day begins when you get your ballot but it ends on August 3rd.

Thursday Snohomish County Elections mailed ballots for the August 3rd Primary to 507,000 registered voters. Ballots were mailed to military and overseas voters on June 18 and to out-of-state and rural voters on July 9. A local voters’ pamphlet was mailed this week to every household. All eligible voters should receive their ballot no later than Wednesday, July 21.

The August Primary narrows the field of candidates in the November General Election. The Primary consists of important local races for county, city, school, fire, and other district offices. The ballot also contains a measure to increase the Fire District 5 governing board from three to five commissioners and a sales and use tax measure for voters in the Snohomish Transportation Benefit District.

“Historically we see a sharp drop in participation in local elections, though it’s hard to overstate their importance. The candidates we elect will determine priorities for our county, cities, schools and other local districts and can significantly impact your community. And voting in the Primary supports candidates you want to see on your General Election ballot. Let’s buck the trend and make sure our voices are heard – vote and return your primary ballot as soon as possible,” stated County Auditor Garth Fell.

Voters can register or update an existing registration online or by mail through Monday, July 26. After July 26, voters can continue to register or make updates and vote in-person until 8 p.m. on Election Night, Tuesday, Aug. 3 at the Auditor’s Office or at an accessible voting site during specific hours.

All thirty ballot drop boxes will be open for the Primary to receive voted ballots. Drop box locations can be found at www.snoco.org/elections, as well as printed in your local voters’ pamphlet.

Additionally, voters can return their ballots by mail through the U.S. Postal Service. Ballots must be postmarked by Election Day, Aug. 3. Check the last collection time on the box and when in doubt, use a county ballot drop box.

Accessible voting and same day voter registration is available in downtown Everett, Washington at the Auditor’s office. You can click here for additional information.