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This Thursday, July 17, Snohomish County Elections will mail ballots for the August 5 Primary to approximately 470,000 registered voters. Voters can expect to receive their ballots starting at the end of the week, with delivery continuing through the weekend and into early next week. The August Primary ballot features important local races for county, city, school, and fire districts, as well as a number of ballot measures for various districts.
Every household in Snohomish County will be mailed a local voters’ pamphlet this week. However, approximately 60,000 voters have no races or ballot measures to vote on in the Primary and will not receive a ballot. In mid-June, Snohomish County Elections mailed 7,619 ballots to military and overseas voters.
“Local elections have a direct impact on the communities we live in, and your participation in the August 5 Primary is an important step in determining which candidates will move on to the November General Election,” said Snohomish County Auditor Garth Fell. “The candidates we elect this year will shape the priorities for our county, cities, schools, and other local districts.”
With more than 180 local offices to be decided this year, the August Primary helps narrow down the field of candidates. In each race, the top two vote-getters will advance to the November General Election. Partisan offices, such as county council, always appear on the Primary ballot, even if only one or two candidates file. Most nonpartisan races only appear on the Primary ballot if three or more candidates file for a position.
Voters may notice that their ballot materials look a bit different this election. These changes are part of Snohomish County Elections’ ongoing efforts to ensure voters have a positive voting experience. “We’re always working to improve the process for voters,” said Auditor Garth Fell. “This year, we’ve reformatted the local voters’ pamphlet layout to a more user-friendly booklet format. We’ve also reduced the number of inserts included in your ballot packet and added more personalized instructions to help streamline the information provided.”
Another notable change is the removal of the stub at the top of the ballot that voters previously had to detach before returning their ballots. “These changes are all designed to simplify the voting process and make it easier for voters to participate,” added Auditor Fell.
Voters have until Monday, July 28, to register or update their existing voter registration online or by mail. In-person voter services, including registering to vote, updating an existing registration, obtaining a new or replacement ballot, and using accessible voting equipment, will be available until 8 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, August 5, at the Auditor’s Office in Everett or at an accessible voter services location. For hours of operation and addresses of accessible voter services locations, please refer to the local voters’ pamphlet or the county’s website.
There will be 35 official ballot drop boxes open for the August Primary. Ballot drop boxes are open 24 hours a day until 8 p.m. on Election Day and are a convenient and secure option for voters to return their ballots. A complete list of ballot drop box locations can be found in the local voters’ pamphlet and at bit.ly/SnoCo_dropbox.
Additionally, voters can return their ballots postage-free by mail. Ballots must be postmarked no later than August 5 to count. To ensure timely delivery, voters are advised to check the mail collection times listed on the outside of the USPS postal box to confirm that their ballot will be processed by the U.S. Postal Service by the August 5 deadline.
Voters who have not received a ballot by July 23 should call Snohomish County Elections at 425-388-3444.
For more information, visit Snohomish County Elections’ website at snoco.org/elections. You can also connect with the Auditor's Office on Facebook, Instagram, and X. If you have additional questions, please email Snohomish County Elections at elections@snoco.org.
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