Ballots For Seahawk Stadium In Mail $425 Million Project Seeks The Stamp Of Approval, And Election Officials Predict 70 Percent Response

The check may or may not be in the mail. But for voters in Spokane and three nearby counties, the ballots are.

Ballots for the June 17 special election on a new $425 million football stadium in Seattle will begin arriving today for nearly 230,000 people eligible to vote in Spokane County.

This will be the county’s first all-mail election, although voters who want the experience of casting their ballot on election day will still have that chance, elections supervisor Tom Wilbur said.

Adams, Ferry and Pend Oreille counties also will be able to vote at the mailbox rather than the precinct house.

Other Eastern Washington counties will have their regular polling stations open. But in Lincoln County, about half the voters always cast ballots by mail, and this election is no different.

Mail-in balloting may raise the turnout to 70 percent or more for this special, one-issue election, county officials estimated.

“We always vote by mail,” said Diana Galvin, elections supervisor for Ferry County.

Last year’s presidential primary, a special, single-issue spring election, generated a turnout of 70 percent, Galvin said. Four years earlier, when voters had to go to the polls for the presidential primary, turnout was about 21 percent.

Pend Oreille County sent out its 6,630 ballots late last week. Nearly 2,000 have already been returned, county officials said.

Voters who want to save themselves a stamp or place their ballot in a box can still do that. All counties will have boxes available at their elections office, and Spokane and Adams counties will have “polling stations” at several locations on election day.

Those who opt for mail can send their ballots as soon as they get them. The ballots must be postmarked no later than midnight June 17.

, DataTimes MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: HOW THE STADIUM BALLOT WILL BE HANDLED Here’s how the June 17 election for the proposed $425 million Seattle football stadium will operate in Eastern Washington counties:

Spokane Countywide vote-by-mail. Ballots sent to 230,000 voters starting Thursday. Polling stations on June 17: election office at Spokane County Courthouse; Cheney Fire Station; Deer Park City Hall; Valley Library on East Main. More information: 456-2320

Adams Countywide vote-by-mail. Ballots sent to 6,400 voters starting today. Polling stations: auditor’s offices in Ritzville and Othello through June 17; Will’s Hardware, Lind; McKenzie’s Drive-In, Washtucna; The Benge Store, Benge, on June 17. More information: 659-3314

Ferry Countywide vote-by-mail. Ballots sent to 3,900 voters Wednesday. Polling station: Auditor’s office, county courthouse, Republic. More information: 775-5208

Lincoln Ballots sent to voters in 27 precincts that always vote by mail; other half of the county’s voters will vote at normal polling stations. More information: 725-4971

Pend Oreille Countywide vote-by-mail. Ballots sent to 6,630 voters last week. Polling station: Elections office in county courthouse, Newport. More information: 447-3185

Stevens Voters to cast ballots at normal polling stations. More information: 684-7514

Whitman Voters to cast ballots at normal polling stations. More information: 397-6270