Welch: Ignoring primary ballot saps your voice in government
Published 1:30 am Wednesday, August 20, 2025
By Todd Welch / Herald Columnist
On Aug. 5, Snohomish County held its primary election; a chance to shape school boards, city councils, and levy measures that touch every corner of daily life. Yet most voters stayed home.
Unofficial results as of Aug. 19 show 111,204 ballots cast out of 475,251 registered voters, just 23.4 percent turnout. Fewer than 3 in 10 eligible voters in the county weighed in.
This isn’t a statistical blip. Primary participation here has been stubbornly low for years, rarely rising above 27 percent in odd-year cycles when statewide and national races aren’t on the ballot. That reality dulls the shock, but not the disappointment.
The silence was deafening in races that should matter most. Everett’s mayoral primary — with four candidates — drew only about a quarter of eligible voters. County Council District 5 managed 23.75 percent. And Everett City Council District 4 — a place where residents frequently say their voices aren’t heard and with three candidates running — logged a turnout of 16.4 percent, 1,532 ballots among just under 9,400 registered voters. It’s hard to demand representation when you decline to use the microphone of the ballot box.
Low turnout also discourages strong candidates from stepping forward. Running for office is grueling: countless evenings at neighborhood meetings, endless door-knocking, the uphill task of explaining a platform to thousands. Candidates fight to be among the final two in November, but when three-quarters of voters don’t participate, the reward often feels hollow. Apathy doesn’t just silence voters, it saps the will of those willing to lead.
Part of the blame lies with the timing. August primaries collide with vacations, back-to-school chores, and the languid haze of summer. But the deeper problem is cultural: Local races don’t grab attention like November’s headline contests, even though August determines who makes the November ballot.
Casino Road, one of Everett’s most diverse and densely populated neighborhoods, exemplifies this struggle. With a large share of residents living in rental housing and experiencing frequent moves, voter engagement has been especially difficult. Transience, language barriers and a sense of disconnection from city government contribute to turnout numbers that lag even the county’s already low averages. Yet if these communities are to have their voices heard, participation is essential. The ballot box remains their most direct path to influence.
When turnout hovers below 25 percent, democracy becomes selective. The decisions of a small, engaged slice of voters shape policy for the rest. In Everett’s District 4 and across the county, the gap between the rhetoric of exclusion and the reality of participation is widening.
If we want a healthier democracy, we need more than hand-wringing. That means improving civic education, expanding ballot drop-off access, and actively reaching younger and underrepresented voters. Above all, it means treating voting not as a chore, but as a claim to our future.
Because until more people show up, the story of Snohomish County’s democracy will remain half-written.
Todd Welch is a columnist for The Herald, addressing local and state issues. He lives in Everett.
