Extra postage required for some ballots

SEATTLE – Court rulings that killed Washington state’s old blanket primary system may be unpopular with voters, but they’re bringing a small windfall to the post office.

Until this year, citizens in the state could mark primary ballots for anyone from any party as long as they voted for just one person per office. For example, a voter could mark a Democrat for governor, a Republican for U.S. senator and a Libertarian for the U.S. House.

On Sept. 14, for the first time since a series of Supreme Court and lower court rulings, each voter is limited to one party for all partisan offices. Ballots marked otherwise will be declared invalid.

In six counties, voters get a consolidated ballot with candidates separated by party as well as those running for nonpartisan offices. In three of those counties, the extra instructions and less efficient layout make the absentee version too heavy for one 37-cent stamp.

On Saturday, Linda Mitchell said, she went to the post office in suburban Renton, accidentally placed her absentee ballot on the scale and noticed it was 1.1 ounces overweight.

Her choice, she was told, was to add 23 cents in postage or get the ballot returned to her residence. “It blows me away how I accidentally found out about this,” Mitchell said. “I hope people don’t chuck it. If you’re a conscientious voter, you have to put on another stamp.”

Not exactly, said Ernie Swanson, a spokesman for the U.S. Postal Service, explaining that King County, which includes Seattle, is covering the extra 23 cents for ballots dropped into mailboxes.

Voters who take their ballots to a post office counter will have to pay the 23 cents, Swanson said.

The other single-ballot counties are Pierce, Kitsap, Snohomish, Chelan and Klickitat. Pierce and Kitsap counties also are covering the extra postage. Snohomish, Chelan and Klickitat ballots are within the 1-ounce weight limit and can still be mailed for 37 cents.