With five elections, get ready to vote a lot in 2020

OLYMPIA — Prepare now for what could be ballot fatigue later.

There are five elections scheduled in the state this year — three for everyone and two for a lot of you.

Here is some of what’s at stake in each one:

Feb. 11: Nine school districts in Snohomish County will be asking voters to approve a construction bond, a capital levy or an enrichment levy. The Edmonds School District is going big. It has a $600 million bond measure. If passed, it would provide money to build two new schools, replace three others and make physical improvements on campuses throughout the district. Construction bonds aren’t easy to pass because they require a 60% majority. If any district tries and fails in February, it can try again in April.

March 10: This is the state’s presidential primary. You read that right. It is the earliest ever for the state. And, for the first time, the Democratic and Republican parties will each allot delegates to candidates based on the results. In other words, the primary could actually be meaningful. Not so much for Republicans, because their guy, President Donald Trump, will be unopposed. For Democratic candidates, it could matter. It depends on who is on the ballot and still in the race.

April 28: Three aging elementary schools would be torn down and replaced. Thirty-six new elementary classrooms would be constructed. And the vocational building at Everett High School would get a modern makeover. Those are among the marquee items in a $317.4 million bond measure that voters in the Everett School District will consider. Two years ago, district voters rejected a $330.6 million bond measure, two-thirds of which was for a new high school. This year’s measure contains no money for a high school. Rather, it makes improvements on more campuses, which could secure a different outcome.

Aug. 4: It’s the regular primary. Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee is seeking a third term and should be the top vote-getter. If Tim Eyman is still in the race — hey, he might not file — this would be a day of reckoning. He’s running as an independent. To finish in the top two, he must beat a crowded field of Republicans. We know how voters across the state feel about his car-tab initiatives. Now we’ll get an idea of how they feel about letting him run the state.

Nov. 3: Americans pick a president on this day. Four years ago, Trump got the job. He wants another term. He’s brushed off the fact that he’s been impeached by the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives. He’s counting on being acquitted soon by the Republican-controlled Senate. In this state, the Democratic candidate, whoever it is, will win. As far as the rest of the nation goes, we’ll all watch together as we did four years ago.

Happy New Year.

Jerry Cornfield: 360-352-8623; jcornfield@herald net.com. Twitter: @dospueblos.