PORT TOWNSEND — Today is the last day for voters, who so far on the North Olympic Peninsula have seemed to largely stayed home for this year’s primary, to cast ballots.
Election coordinators in both Jefferson and Clallam counties said voters may feel overwhelmed by the number of candidates in statewide races — 17 for Democratic senator Patty Murray’s position and 11 for Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee’s position.
Of the 23,632 ballots sent to Jefferson County voters, 6,487 were returned as of Monday, 27.45 percent of the total — and a lot less than the county is used to receiving in most elections by this time, elections coordinator Betty Johnson said.
Of the 49,004 ballots sent to Clallam voters, 10,950 were returned as of Monday for a 22.3 percent participation rate, elections coordinator Ken Hugoniot said Monday.
Ballots must be postmarked by today or dropped off in county drop boxes or at county courthouses in Jefferson and Clallam counties by 8 p.m. today to be valid.
The top-two votegetters in all races advance to the Nov. 8 general election regardless of party affiliation. The primary narrows the field in contests with more than two contenders.
On the Peninsula, the only local races are county commission race in each county and the race for a House seat in the 24th Legislative District, which covers Clallam and Jefferson counties and part of Grays Harbor County.
In Jefferson County, only voters only in Port Townsend-area District 1 have five candidates to choose from on the ballot for the partisan position of county commissioner, although landscaper Holly Postmus, who declared no party preference, dropped out after registering to run for the position.
That leaves four candidates — three of them Democrats — who want to succeed Democrat Phil Johnson, who is not running for re-election.
The Democrats are Kate Dean, regional director of the North Olympic Peninsula Resource Conservation & Development Council in Port Townsend; Cynthia Koan, a self-employed computer information technology support technician coach; and Tim Thomas, president of Bernt Ericsen Excavating Inc. in Port Townsend.
Also running is Republican Jeff Gallant, a general contractor.
24th Legislative District
Chapman, a four-term Clallam County commissioner and a former Republican, is joining two other candidates in running for the District 24 Position 1 seat being vacated by Sequim Democrat Kevin Van De Wege.
Facing Chapman is Democrat Tammy Ramsay of Hoquiam and Republican George Vrable of Port Ludlow, a retired battalion chief for the Navy Region Northwest Fire Department.
Van De Wege is running in the general election for the 24th District state Senate seat being vacated by Democrat Jim Hargrove of Hoquiam, who is retiring.
His opponent will be Danille Turissini of Port Ludlow, who when registering as a candidate for the position filed her party preference as “independent GOP party.”
Hugoniot suggested that the long list of candidates and the size of the ballot may have deterred voter participation so far, noting, for example, the deluge of U.S. Senate candidates.
“Most people have not received any information and don’t know who they are,” he said.
“There are so many state races and so little information.”
But his office received 2,700 ballots from Saturday, Monday and drop boxes that were gleaned Monday.
Johnson echoed that view, saying she, too, had waited until this past weekend to cast her ballot.
“There are just too many people on the ballot,” she said.
“It’s really hard to research.
“Normally, I vote my ballot right away.
“People put it off when they have to sit at a computer and research.”
