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

Trader Joe’s customers walk in and out of the store on Monday, Nov. 20, 2023 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
New Trader Joe’s opens this week at Everett Mall

It’s a short move from a longtime location, essentially across the street, where parking was often an adventure.

Ian Bramel-Allen enters a guilty plea to second-degree murder during a plea and sentencing hearing on Wednesday, March 6, 2024, at Snohomish County Superior Court in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
‘Deep remorse’: Man gets 17 years for friend’s fatal stabbing in Edmonds

Ian Bramel-Allen, 44, pleaded guilty Wednesday to second-degree murder for killing Bret Northcutt last year at a WinCo.

Firefighters respond to a small RV and a motorhome fire on Tuesday afternoon in Marysville. (Provided by Snohomish County Fire Distrct 22)
1 injured after RV fire, explosion near Marysville

The cause of the fire in the 11600 block of 81st Avenue NE had not been determined, fire officials said.

Ashton Dedmon appears in court during his sentencing hearing on Tuesday, March 5, 2024, at Snohomish County Superior Court in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Everett Navy sailor sentenced to 90 days for fatal hit and run

Ashton Dedmon crashed into Joshua Kollman and drove away. Dedmon, a petty officer on the USS Kidd, reported he had a panic attack.

A kindergarten student works on a computer at Emerson Elementary School on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
‘¡Una erupción!’: Dual language programs expanding to 10 local schools

A new bill aims to support 10 new programs each year statewide. In Snohomish County, most follow a 90-10 model of Spanish and English.

Logo for news use featuring the Tulalip Indian Reservation in Snohomish County, Washington. 220118
Woman drives off cliff, dies on Tulalip Reservation

The woman fell 70 to 80 feet after driving off Priest Point Drive NW on Sunday afternoon.

Everett
Boy, 4, survives fall from Everett fourth-story apartment window

The child was being treated at Seattle Children’s. The city has a limited supply of window stops for low-income residents.

People head out to the water at low tide during an unseasonably warm day on Saturday, March 16, 2024, at Lighthouse Park in Mukilteo, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Everett shatters record high temperature by 11 degrees

On Saturday, it hit 73 degrees, breaking the previous record of 62 set in 2007.

Snohomish County Fire District #4 and Snohomish Regional Fire & Rescue respond to a motor vehicle collision for a car and pole. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene, near Triangle Bait & Tackle in Snohomish. (Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office)
Police: Troopers tried to stop driver before deadly crash in Snohomish

The man, 31, was driving at “a high rate of speed” when he crashed into a traffic light pole and died, investigators said.

Alan Dean, who is accused of the 1993 strangulation murder of 15-year-old Bothell girl Melissa Lee, appears in court during opening statements of his trial on Monday, March 18, 2024, at Snohomish County Superior Court in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
31 years later, trial opens in Bothell teen’s brutal killing

In April 1993, Melissa Lee’s body was found below Edgewater Creek Bridge. It would take 27 years to arrest Alan Dean in her death.

Logo for news use featuring the municipality of Snohomish in Snohomish County, Washington. 220118
Man dies after crashing into pole in Snohomish

Just before 1 a.m., the driver crashed into a traffic light pole at the intersection of 2nd Street and Maple Avenue.

Bodies of two men recovered after falling into Eagle Falls near Index

Two men fell into the falls and did not resurface Saturday, authorities said. After a recovery effort, two bodies were found.

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.