Ballots mailed for the August 4 primary election; Update voter registration online by July 27

Ballots for the August 4 primary election were mailed July 15, and voters should also have received a voters’ pamphlet by now, according to the Whatcom County Auditor’s Office. Voters who haven’t yet received a ballot should contact the auditor’s office, said Whatcom County auditor Diana Bradrick.

All statewide offices are on the primary ballot, including such local races as U.S. Congress District 1 representative, 42nd Legislative District and Whatcom County Superior Court Judge positions. The governor’s race has 36 candidates.

The election is a top-two primary: The two candidates with the most votes advance to the general election, regardless of party.

Ballots must be postmarked or placed in election ballot drop boxes by 8 p.m. on Election Day, August 4. Drop boxes are located at the Blaine Library, at North Whatcom Fire and Rescue at 4581 Birch Bay-Lynden Road, and at Custer Elementary School. All 18 Whatcom County drop box locations are printed on the insert enclosed with the ballot, as well as in the voters’ pamphlet. Postage is not required to mail in a ballot.

Those mailing in a ballot should do so up to a week before Election Day, Bradrick said.

“I think the public doesn’t understand that just because they get their ballot to the post office on Election Day, that doesn’t mean it will be postmarked in time,” she said. “If you’re going to wait until Election Day, you really should use a drop box. Every election we have hundreds of ballots that we can’t count because they’re not postmarked in time and we hate that.”

The auditor’s office encourages residents to complete voter registrations and address updates online or by mail before Monday, July 27. After that, voters can still register until Election Day but must do it at the auditor’s office, at 311 Grand Avenue, Suite 103, in Bellingham. Masks and physical distancing are required at the office.

Citizens with a Washington state issued ID can complete their voter registration and address updates online at votewa.gov. Those without a state issued ID can go to sos.wa.gov/elections/print-voter-registration-forms.aspx and print a registration form to be mailed in.

Bradrick cautioned that ballots could take longer to process than usual, as there are fewer workers. That’s partly because of the county’s hiring freeze, and partly because many of the temporary workers who have counted ballots in the past are over 65 and some don’t want to do the work this time, she said.

In a typical election, nearly all the ballots have been counted by Thursday, following a Tuesday election.

The auditor’s office could process ballots faster if more of them came in early, Bradrick said. Typically, 50 percent of ballots are turned in in the final three days, she said.

The voters’ pamphlet and other information about the current election are available online at co.whatcom.wa.us/1732/current-election. To get a replacement ballot, go to votewa.gov.