Snohomish County voters who cast ballots in the state’s first closed primary in 70 years Tuesday were split about the change.
Many who voted at two of the county’s busiest polling places favored the new primary.
Yet, making it a requirement for people to pick a political party before being able to vote on partisan races drew fierce opposition from others, election workers said.
A couple of dozen voters returned their absentee ballots with protest statements written on the envelope. Several shredded their ballots rather than select a party, and others came to the polls and refused to vote.
Concerns about the primary aren’t expected to affect turnout, Snohomish County Auditor Bob Terwilliger said. The publicity and statewide education efforts may have actually boosted the number of voters, he said. Up to 40 percent of the county’s 330,000 registered voters were expected to participate in the primary, Terwilliger said.
Harold Meek, 57, of Everett, said he was unhappy with the change but voted in the partisan races anyway.
“I’m a Republican, but there are times when the Democrats have had a better candidate,” he said. “I want to be able to pick the best person for the job.”
Wayne Nessels, 44, of Mukilteo, said he hopes the state sticks with the closed primary.
“Some people vote strategically rather than by party,” he said. “This will decrease that possibility. … This is more fair and equitable.”
Lydia Bishop, 50, of Lake Stevens, agreed, but said she heard plenty of grumbling when she showed voters the ballot at the Republican Party booth at the recent Evergreen State Fair in Monroe.
“People in Washington state are so independent. They don’t like labels,” she said.
The state made the switch to a closed primary this year after leaders of the state’s Democratic, Republican and Libertarian parties sued, contending they had the constitutional right to make sure only party members chose party nominees.
On April 1, Gov. Gary Locke signed the bill establishing the current system. Opponents sued, and the state Supreme Court upheld Locke’s action in July.
The ballot also contains a number of nonpartisan races on which everyone could vote regardless of party preference.
Elections workers did not know Tuesday how many voters selected just the nonpartisan races.
Meanwhile, some voters reported problems finding their polling places Tuesday. The county reduced the number from 704 to 698 in June. Some complained there wasn’t adequate announcement of the change.
In addition, one touch- screen voting machine at the South Lake Stevens Grange had to be rebooted after a voter reported the machine selected a candidate for him in a nonpartisan state judicial race.
Malfunctions such as those are rare, Terwilliger said. No votes cast on that machine were lost, he said. That voter filled out a paper ballot instead.
The county took apart several voting machines Monday to verify the code, and conducted additional monitoring Tuesday, he said.
Reporter Katherine Schiffner: 425-339-3436 or schiffner@heraldnet.com.
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