Cast your vote in primary today

The Olympian • Published August 19, 2008

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Today is primary election day, but it just doesn't feel like it.

Primary election day

Election coverage: Go to www.theolympian.com/election for Olympian stories on today's primary election and go to www.theolympian.com for the latest election results after 8 p.m.

Ballot drop-off sites

The following ballot drop-off sites will be open until 8 p.m. today:

•Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, 1515 Harrison Ave., Olympia

•Olympia Fire Station 1, 100 Eastside St. N.E., Olympia

•Church of the Good Shepherd, 1601 North St. S.E., Olympia

•Thurston County Courthouse, 2000 Lakeridge Drive S.W., Olympia

•Westside Top Foods, 1313 Cooper Point Road S.W., Olympia

•Lacey City Hall, 420 College St. S.E., Lacey

•Fire Dist. 3, Station 34, 8407 Steilacoom Road S.E., Lacey

•Fire Dist. 3, Station 35, 3701 Willamette Drive N.E., Lacey

•Woodland Retirement & Assisted Living Community, 4532 Intelco Loop S.E., Lacey

•Lacey Top Foods, 5600 Martin Way E, Lacey

•Lacey Post Office, 5818 Lacey Blvd, Lacey

•Tumwater City Hall, 555 Israel Road S.W., Tumwater

•Tumwater school administrative office, 419 Linwood Ave. S.W., Tumwater

•Rainier City Hall, 102 Rochester St. W., Rainier

•South Bay Elementary School, 3845 Sleater-Kinney Road N.E., Lacey

•Lackamas Elementary, 16240 Bald Hills Road, Yelm

•Yelm school administrative office, 110 1st St. N., Yelm

•Tenino school administrative office, 301 Old Highway 99, Tenino

•Across from Liberty Market, 103 Main St. S., Bucoda

•Black Lake Fire Station, 5911 Black Lake Blvd. S.W.

•South Bay Fire Station, 3506 Shincke Road N.E.

•Rochester Fire Station No. 1, 18346 Albany St. S.W., Rochester.

•Steamboat Island Fire Station 1, 3707 Steamboat Loop N.W.

•Littlerock fire station, 10828 Littlerock Road S.W.

•Grand Mound Licensing Agency, 19949 Old Highway 99 S.W.

First of all, today's primary election is taking place in the midst of summer — a full month earlier than voters have become accustomed to. That's because in 2006 the state Legislature moved the date of the primary from September to the third Tuesday in August in order to give election officials more time to prepare for the November general election.

In March 2006, state lawmakers recognized the problems of two elections crammed into a seven-week period. By a vote of 94-3 in the House and 37-11 in the Senate, the Legislature passed a bill moving the primary ahead to August, and adjusted filing week accordingly. What they did, in essence, was extend the length of the campaign season.

The real winners were the men and women serving in the U.S. military, and Washington residents living abroad. Under the old election system, ballots mailed overseas often would not be returned in time to be counted. It's heartbreaking for county auditors to receive otherwise legitimate votes too late to be tallied, simply because of the slow delivery by the postal service. The time crunch disenfranchised military and overseas voters.

When the bill passed, Secretary of State Sam Reed, the state's top election official, said, "This victory has been years in the making. Moving the primary from September to August is a win for the people and for democracy itself."

He was right.

There's a second reason why today's election doesn't seem quite right. That's because Thurston County has fully transitioned from poll-site elections to elections conducted entirely through the mail. That means every ballot must contain today's postmark or be dropped off at a ballot drop site by 8 p.m. today.

It's clear from previous trends that voters prefer to cast their ballots from the comfort of a living room chair to trudging to a neighborhood fire station to wait in line to cast their ballot.

While some voters complain about vote-by-mail elections, the simple truth is that it increases voter turnout, and having as many voices involved as possible is a good thing. It's democracy in action.

Neither the date of the primary election nor the vote-by-mail mandate should dissuade voters from casting a ballot today.

Drop it at the post office early to get today's postmark, or visit one of 24 ballot drop-off locations scattered throughout the county. Let your voice be heard by casting your ballot.