Washington’s Feb. 19 presidential party preference primary began quietly on Jan. 18 in Jefferson County with the mailing of 178 military and overseas ballots worldwide.
But the heavy lifting begins Wednesday, when 20,518 ballots will be mailed for the Feb. 19 statewide presidential preference primary.
County Auditor Donna Eldridge expects a 37 percent voter turnout based on past primary elections.
Clallam County Auditor Patty Rosand projects a 50 percent turnout.
Voters must postmark primary ballots by Feb. 19 or drop them off by 8 p.m. that day in drop-boxes or at the county courthouse.
Also this week, state-produced voters pamphlets will be available at the county courthouses and mailed to every household in the state.
Jefferson County, which has only the primary in its ballot package, has single ballots for each party, a better fit for the county’s election system and “less confusing for voters,” Eldridge said.
Primary election voters can select only a single Republican or Democratic candidate.
