Forced to choose party, many skip presidential primary

  • By Jerry Cornfield Herald Writer
  • Monday, May 16, 2016 7:17pm
  • Local News

EVERETT — As hundreds of thousands of voters cast ballots in the May 24 presidential primary, many are sitting it out because they will not declare allegiance to the Democratic or Republican parties in order to participate.

Moreover they dislike that a list with their name and choice of political affiliation will be given to each party by the state and maintained as a public record long after results are known.

Snohomish County Auditor Carolyn Weikel is one such voter.

“It is because of the party declaration that I chose not to participate in this election,” she said. “My office is nonpartisan. I’ve maintained that nonpartisanship for years.”

Some voters sent back their ballots with objections penned on the outside envelope. Others got creative, drew in a box for ‘Independent’ and marked it.

“People are sharing their thoughts about this aspect of the election,” Weikel said.

In the county and around the state, tens of thousands of ballots are coming back without the voter checking the box next to the Democratic or Republican oaths putting those ballots in danger of not being counted either.

Concerns are reaching the Secretary of State’s Office as well.

Unlike other states, voters in Washington are not required to register with a party or pick a party in an election — except for the presidential primary, where the requirement is etched into state law.

“We’ve taken a fair share of phone calls from voters,” said Lori Augino, the state’s director of elections. “We certainly understand there is some confusion and frustration on the part of voters. It’s different from what voters in Washington are used to doing.”

Washington will spend roughly $11.5 million in taxpayer dollars to conduct the primary, the results of which will have little or no effect on who is chosen by the Democratic and Republican parties to be their presidential nominees.

The state Democratic Party will essentially ignore the results because it relies on its caucus process to allot delegates to presidential candidates.

The state Republican Party will use the vote tally to allocate its 44 delegates. But with Donald Trump as the party’s presumptive nominee, the outcome won’t matter much.

But both parties will gain a valuable list from the secretary of state once the election results are certified June 10. It will contain the name of every person who voted and the party they chose.

Anyone can obtain that information through a public record’s request to the Secretary of State’s Office for 22 months. Federal law requires records of elections with federal races be retained for that length of time, Augino said.

In addition, each county maintains information of its voters for 60 days following certification. Then that data gets scrubbed.

There will be a lot of names on the list given the volume of ballots flowing in for the May 24 election.

Statewide, 619,341 ballots had been returned as of Monday morning, according to the Secretary of State’s Office. That’s 15.1 percent of Washington’s 4.1 million registered voters.

“I’m pleased,” Augino said. “It shows me that people are participating.”

In Snohomish County, 65,426 ballots had been returned by mid-morning Monday, of which 36,262 were Democratic ballots and 25,129 were Republican.

Most of the other 4,035 ballots came back without any party oath chosen. In these cases county election staff will contact the voter and invite them to “cure” their ballot by picking one or it won’t be tallied, Weikel said.

On a few ballots, both of the party declarations were marked. Those will not be counted and the voter will not be contacted, Weikel said.

Jerry Cornfield: 360-352-8623; jcornfield@heraldnet.com.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

A firefighter stands in silence before a panel bearing the names of L. John Regelbrugge and Kris Regelbrugge during the ten-year remembrance of the Oso landslide on Friday, March 22, 2024, at the Oso Landslide Memorial in Oso, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
‘Flood of emotions’ as Oso Landslide Memorial opens on 10th anniversary

Friends, family and first responders held a moment of silence at 10:37 a.m. at the new 2-acre memorial off Highway 530.

Julie Petersen poses for a photo with images of her sister Christina Jefferds and Jefferds’ grand daughter Sanoah Violet Huestis next to a memorial for Sanoah at her home on March 20, 2024 in Arlington, Washington. Peterson wears her sister’s favorite color and one of her bangles. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
‘It just all came down’: An oral history of the Oso mudslide

Ten years later, The Daily Herald spoke with dozens of people — first responders, family, survivors — touched by the deadliest slide in U.S. history.

Victims of the Oso mudslide on March 22, 2014. (Courtesy photos)
Remembering the 43 lives lost in the Oso mudslide

The slide wiped out a neighborhood along Highway 530 in 2014. “Even though you feel like you’re alone in your grief, you’re really not.”

Director Lucia Schmit, right, and Deputy Director Dara Salmon inside the Snohomish County Department of Emergency Management on Friday, March 8, 2024, in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
How Oso slide changed local emergency response ‘on virtually every level’

“In a decade, we have just really, really advanced,” through hard-earned lessons applied to the pandemic, floods and opioids.

Ron and Gail Thompson at their home on Monday, March 4, 2024 in Oso, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
In shadow of scarred Oso hillside, mudslide’s wounds still feel fresh

Locals reflected on living with grief and finding meaning in the wake of a catastrophe “nothing like you can ever imagine” in 2014.

Everett mall renderings from Brixton Capital. (Photo provided by the City of Everett)
Topgolf at the Everett Mall? Mayor’s hint still unconfirmed

After Cassie Franklin’s annual address, rumors circled about what “top” entertainment tenant could be landing at Everett Mall.

Everett
Everett man sentenced to 3 years of probation for mutilating animals

In 2022, neighbors reported Blayne Perez, 35, was shooting and torturing wildlife in north Everett.

The Washington State University Snohomish County Extension building at McCollum Park is located in an area Snohomish County is considering for the location of the Farm and Food Center on Thursday, March 28, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Year-round indoor farmers market inches closer to reality near Mill Creek

The Snohomish County Farm and Food Center received $5 million in federal funding. The county hopes to begin building in 2026.

Dorothy Crossman rides up on her bike to turn in her ballot  on Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Everett leaders plan to ask voters for property tax increase

City officials will spend weeks hammering out details of a ballot measure, as Everett faces a $12.6 million deficit.

Starbucks employee Zach Gabelein outside of the Mill Creek location where he works on Friday, Feb. 23, 2024 in Mill Creek, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Mill Creek Starbucks votes 21-1 to form union

“We obviously are kind of on the high of that win,” store bargaining delegate Zach Gabelein said.

Lynnwood police respond to a collision on highway 99 at 176 street SW. (Photo provided by Lynnwood Police)
Police: Teen in stolen car flees cops, causes crash in Lynnwood

The crash blocked traffic for over an hour at 176th Street SW. The boy, 16, was arrested on felony warrants.

The view of Mountain Loop Mine out the window of a second floor classroom at Fairmount Elementary on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
County: Everett mining yard violated order to halt work next to school

At least 10 reports accused OMA Construction of violating a stop-work order next to Fairmount Elementary. A judge will hear the case.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.