Use candidate profiles to inform primary ballot picks

Eastern Washington voters are receiving their primary ballots, with nearly three weeks to mark and return them before the Aug. 17 primary.

Some voters may need that much time to sort through the long list of candidates for some races: four for an open legislative seat in central Spokane’s 3rd District, five for Spokane County commissioner, six for Eastern Washington’s U.S. House seat and 15 for the U.S. Senate.

Some judicial races will be decided in the primary if one candidate gets a majority of the votes.

Information for candidates in contested congressional, local legislative and Spokane County races can be found in an eight-page preview starting on Page A6.

Voters aren’t limited to the candidates of a particular party. The state’s top two primary means the two highest vote-getters advance to the general election, regardless of party.

Turnout for primaries is often light. But some of the voters who complain about their choices in November are the ones who skip the primary. This is the chance to pick from the widest possible field.