Only 10 percent of primary ballots returned so far

OLYMPIA – Only about 10 percent of the state’s voters have returned their ballots in advance of Tuesday’s primary election.

The secretary of state’s office said Wednesday that counties had reported receiving 412,000 ballots as of Tuesday night. More than 4 million voters started receiving their ballots in the mail this month. Voters must have their ballots postmarked by Tuesday, or they can drop their ballot at a local drop box by 8 p.m. Tuesday.

The primary ballot in Washington state is lengthy, with hundreds of candidates vying for offices ranging from U.S. Senate to the governor’s office and dozens of legislative races.