Washington state scores highest Primary election turnout since 1964
Aug 16, 2020, 8:04 AM
Washington state ballot drop box. (KIRO Radio/Feliks Banel)
(KIRO Radio/Feliks Banel)
Washington has long sought to improve voter turnout by expanding its mail-in voting infrastructure. For the 2020 August primary, it would appear as though that effort has succeeded, with the state garnering a turnout over 50% for the first time in half a century for a primary election.
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As of Friday, Washington’s voter turnout for this August’s primary sits at over 54%, with many counties hitting the 60% mark. This marks the highest turnout in a primary since 1964’s 56% benchmark.
In the days ahead, Washington Secretary of State Kim Wyman expects that momentum to continue.
“Voters were energized and got their ballots back, and I think it really does indicate that the general election is going to also have record breaking turnout,” she told KIRO Radio’s Gee and Ursula Show.
Wyman is telling county election offices to plan for a November turnout between 80% and 90%, to ensure that “processes can handle that kind of volume, and use the metrics from the primary to do that.”
That would easily eclipse 2016’s general election turnout of 78%, and approach levels of voter participation last seen in 2012 (81%) and 2008 (84%).
Assuaging concerns over rumors of possible postal service delays in the wake of recent action by the Trump administration, Wyman is assuring voters that the USPS “will maintain excellent delivery standards” during November’s general election. Wyman also called the “politicization” of USPS administrative processes by the Trump administration a “dangerous path to go down.”
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The state mails ballots to voters beginning 20 days before Election Day at “nonprofit bulk rate.” That’s the standard delivery rate for the post office, and ensures a ballot arrives in your mailbox within five to 10 days.
That being so, having to wait 10 days for an in-state ballot to arrive is “the worst-case scenario,” according to USPS representatives Wyman has spoken to herself. For out-of-state absentee voters, ballots are sent out 45 days before Election Day as a precaution.
