Washington’s presidential primary only counts for the GOP

  • By Rachel La Corte Associated Press
  • Monday, May 23, 2016 12:14pm
  • Local News

OLYMPIA — More than a million voters have already sent in their ballots for Washington state’s presidential primary, even though the results will only be used to allocate Republican delegates to this summer’s Republican National Convention.

Washington has both a presidential primary and a caucus system, but Democrats will ignore the results of Tuesday’s statewide primary, having chosen to continue to use the smaller party caucus system to allocate their delegates to their national convention.

Both parties see at least one shared benefit from the statewide election. Because Washington state does not have party registration, the presidential primary — which requires voters to attest they are a member of either the Republican or Democratic Party — gives the state parties important information for their voter lists, since the voter’s party choice becomes a public record, though their actual vote remains private.

Here’s what to expect Tuesday:

The ballot

More than 4 million voters received a single ballot in the mail this month. The ballot lists both Republican and Democratic candidates for president, however, in order for the ballot to be valid and counted, voters can only pick one party and vote for one candidate. Even though Donald Trump is the only candidate remaining in the Republican contest, John Kasich and Ted Cruz are still on the ballot because they suspended their campaigns in early May, after the ballots were printed. Ben Carson, who suspended his campaign in March, is still on the ballot because he never submitted a withdrawal of candidacy with the state. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders are listed for the Democratic race.

Election night

Ballots must be postmarked by Tuesday or dropped in an elections drop box by 8 p.m. Tuesday. The state’s 39 counties will begin reporting numbers after 8 p.m. Tuesday, and most will provide daily updates as more votes are processed and arrive in the mail. Results will be posted on vote.wa.gov.

How the Republican delegates are allocated

State Republicans will be sending 44 delegates to the national convention in Cleveland in July. Thirty of those delegates will be allocated proportionally based on candidate percentages in the congressional districts — three delegates from each of the 10 congressional districts. If a candidate gets more than 50 percent of the vote in a congressional district, they get all three of that district’s delegates. If no candidate gets more than 50 percent and two candidates get more than 20 percent, then the one with most gets 2 delegates. If three candidates get more than 20 percent, each are allocated one delegate.

Fourteen at large delegates, which include three Republican National Committee members, will be allocated according to the statewide primary votes. Those delegates are allocated proportionally to candidates who have at least 20 percent of the statewide vote.

The delegates were chosen at the state Republican convention this past weekend but will not know who they are representing until the results of the primary. Of the 41 elected delegates, 40 were Cruz supporters. However, under party rules, each delegate will be bound to the results of the presidential primary for the first round of voting at the national convention.

What do Democrats do?

Democrats ignore the results of the statewide primary, choosing instead to allocate their delegates based on the state party’s caucus system. Bernie Sanders overwhelmingly won the district caucuses on March 26. Following the results of this past weekend’s congressional district caucuses, a spokesman for the state Democratic Party said that 74 delegates will go to Sanders and 27 will go to Clinton. Washington Democrats will also be sending 17 superdelegates to the national convention. Superdelegates are technically unpledged party and elected leaders, but a majority of them — including Gov. Jay Inslee and the state’s Congressional delegation — have already said they support Clinton.

Why hold a primary?

State law requires that that the primary —which was created by a citizen initiative to the Legislature in 1989 — be held on the fourth Tuesday in May of a presidential year unless the Legislature cancels it. While the Legislature has done that before, most recently in 2012 for budgetary reasons, majority Republicans in the Senate and majority Democrats in the House did not advance any bills to do that for this election cycle. The $11.5 million price tag for the presidential primary was approved by both chambers and signed off on by Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee. The Republican field was still crowded when the Legislature adjourned mid-April of this year, so lawmakers would have had to come back into special session to cancel the election.

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.