Washington ready to select its winners

Dozens of candidates seeking everything from congressional and legislative seats to judicial and county commission posts are vying for the chance to advance to the Nov. 5 general election.

Which candidates make the cut in the Aug. 7 primary and which don’t is up to voters.

On the following pages are summaries of all contested races affecting Spokane County, plus helpful tips for finding additional information about the candidates and the issues shaping the races. The material was compiled by staff writers Jonathan Brunt, Jim Camden, Nina Culver, Mike Prager and Deputy City Editor David Wasson.

In Spokane County, ballots are cast by mail, though you also can return them directly to the county elections office or at specially designated drop boxes at all public libraries countywide. They must be postmarked or dropped off at designated locations by Aug. 7. If you’re a registered voter you should have received your ballot by now; contact your county elections office if you haven’t.

Washington’s primary elections also are different from most other states in that the two candidates with the most votes advance to the general election regardless of partisan affiliation.

You’ll find complete coverage of Election 2012 in The Spokesman-Review and online at spokesman.com/elections .

An online voters guide also is available from the Spokane County Elections Office and Washington Secretary of State’s Office, at https://wei.sos.wa.gov/agency/osos/ en/Pages/OnlineVotersGuide.aspx.