With important election on Tuesday, Spokane County voter turnout remains lower than 2020

Voter turnout remains depressed in Spokane County with only days to go before the Aug. 6 primary election, when a number of crowded races for significant statewide and federal offices will be winnowed to two candidates a piece.

Around 15% of eligible voters had submitted their ballots as of end of day Thursday, down from 20.2% during the last presidential election cycle in 2020. Statewide voter turnout is also down thus far, with 14% of eligible voters submitting their ballots so far this year compared to 19.3% by this time in 2020.

This may have a notable impact in races with large fields of candidates, such as the 28 candidates for governor and 10 candidates running to represent Eastern Washington in Congress. Unlike the gubernatorial race, where polling suggests relatively wide margins and only four candidates likely to earn a significant number of votes, no public polling has been conducted in the 5th Congressional District to indicate how close the race may be.

With Washington’s top-two primary system, whichever two candidates earn the most votes will advance to the November general election. If margins are tight, low turnout could play an important role in determining who advances in some races.

Turnout is even lower in many of the other counties in the 5th District. In Walla Walla County, less than 14% of voters had turned in their ballots, compared to nearly 23% by this time in 2020.

In Stevens County, nearly 16.3% of eligible residents have voted, compared to 26.7% in 2020.

Spokane County Auditor Vicky Dalton, who oversees elections in the county, believes that voters may have decision paralysis from the number of important and hotly contested races without an incumbent.

“I talked to a few people over the last week or so, voters who are usually first weekend voters, and everyone is saying pretty much the same thing,” she said. “There’s just so many races open and so many candidates, they’re having to do their research and really read through the voters’ pamphlet.”

Dalton expects turnout to pick up over the weekend and encourages undecided voters to vote on the races they have firm opinions on and leave the others blank if necessary.

“You don’t have to fill out every single race, if you have a couple where you can’t make up your mind,” she said.

Voters submitting their ballots on election day either need to deposit them before 8 p.m. in a drop box, which are located throughout the county at public libraries, city halls and many other public buildings, or in a post box before the last pickup of the day, which may be earlier than 8 p.m.