Voting in today’s primary election
Aug 5, 2025, 1:47 PM | Updated: 1:51 pm
A ballot box in King County, as Tuesday is primary election day. (Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
(Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
Tuesday is primary election day in Washington.
With no presidential candidate and mainly local races on the ballot, voter turnout is not expected to break any records.
“Voter turnout is going to be anywhere from 25 to 35%,” Stuart Holmes, Director of Elections for the Office of the Secretary of State, said. “In those counties in which [races] are maybe not as competitive, or there’s just not a lot of name recognition, we’ll see turnout lower in those areas.”
He added that two southeast Washington counties are not participating in the primary at all.
“Garfield and Columbia just didn’t have anything on the ballot,” Holmes said.
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Critical roles on King County ballot
In King County, where a 35% voter turnout was expected, election office communications manager Halei Watkins noted there were races on the ballot to fill critical, local roles.
“We’re talking about folks like mayors and city councils, school boards — even water and hospital commissioners,” Watkins said. “Those folks are making decisions on behalf of our communities every single day, so while they don’t get the same kind of level of attention as a presidential election, these offices — that we’re voting for — are absolutely just as important.”
And they’re tasked with spending your money.
“Folks elected to these local positions are making decisions about how our tax dollars get spent on all kinds of things, from transportation and roads, to parks, to schools,” Watkins said.
In Washington, the two candidates who receive the most votes in the primary, regardless of party, will face off in November’s general election.
“We have an open primary,” Holmes said. “Voters of all party affiliations can participate and vote for any candidate they want.”
To make sure your ballot counts, it needs to either be in a ballot drop box by 8 p.m. Tuesday or in the mail and postmarked by primary election day. For results, visit MyNorthwest.
This story was originally published on August 4, 2025. It has been updated and republished since then.
Read more of Heather Bosch’s stories here.
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