A ballot party for the primary? That's what these Washington voters did

On a warm, breezy Saturday in late July, a group of game developers gathered in a backyard in the foothills of the Cascades. Snacks were scattered across a table. A jet-black Great Dane named Lou watched for stray popcorn.

The non-canines at the party were busy researching dozens of people and talking about various issues, from their personal political philosophies to their shared excitement over getting an "I voted" sticker. They came here to fill out their ballots for Washington’s August primary election.

Shoreline resident Elizabeth Bolden, 42, was one of them. She never misses a chance to vote, even if it feels like volunteering to do homework.

“If I don’t use my voice, how is my voice ever going to be heard? And the primary is the first step in that process,” she said.

Voters tend to have far more candidate choices in the primary – this year there are 28 people running for governor – than in the general election, when a pair of finalists appear on the ballot. Washington’s open primary system means there are no partisan ballots; anyone can vote for any one candidate they like, and the top two vote-getters face off in the general election, regardless of party affiliation.

Elections officials and candidates spend a lot of time urging people to vote, but turnout for the primary is usually much lower than in November. And voter apathy is hard to overcome – especially when so much is on the ballot, and information about local candidates is often overshadowed by what’s happening at the federal level.

In addition to the long list of gubernatorial hopefuls, Washington voters have to consider candidates in open races for attorney general, public lands commissioner, and more.

In 2020, roughly 84% of Washington’s registered voters cast a ballot in the general election. But voter turnout was just around half in the August primary that year. It’s even lower in years without a presidential election – voter turnout in the 2022 primary was just around 40% statewide.

Friend groups like the one gathered around the backyard snack table, poring over their ballots, get together to encourage voting, and to share the information load.

One attendee, Anthea Carns, 35, from Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, finds some relief in voting by mail, because she can process information about candidates at her own pace.

“It’s like having an open book test, right?” Carns said. “I’m looking at this ballot for the first time and because it’s a primary, the number of people running for governor is absolutely wild.”

Most of this group is fairly tuned into politics, but it’s impossible to know everything about everyone, they discovered. Few folks at the party knew what the state’s Commissioner of Public Lands does, for example, and they were split on how to determine which candidate would be the best fit for the job.

The group leaned heavily on official voter guides – mailed out with every ballot and published online – and endorsements to figure out where candidates stand on key issues and how much they align with those views.

Carns wanted to know if an advocacy group for bicyclists had issued an endorsement for governor – she didn’t find one.

Most of the folks at the party seemed to fill out their ballots all the way through. But Carns said that voting in just one race you care about is worth it. Local races in particular are worth voting in, other partygoers said, because of how close those matchups can be, and because of the immediate impact that local officials have on everyday life.

Carns said she’s unafraid to be “that friend,” telling people to vote by the Aug. 6 deadline.

“Just do it – I don’t care who you vote for, just vote. Just fill out your ballot – it’s there, it’s sitting on your kitchen counter right now, I know it is,” she said.

And if your ballot is indeed still sitting on your countertop, here’s a quick guide to help get you started before voting ends Aug. 6:

1. If you need a new ballot or help filling yours out, you can visit your local elections center. You can check out this page to find voting centers or ballot drop boxes in your area. It’s too late to register to vote online or by mail, but you can register to vote and get a ballot in-person anytime between now and 8 p.m. on election night, when voting closes. Elections officials warn that waiting until election day to get a ballot or register to vote could mean you end up waiting in long lines.
2. In addition to ballots, the state mails out voter guides that include information about candidates on your ballot. You can find a digital version of your voter guide at VoteWA.gov, the state’s voter registration and ballot portal. You can also look at other voter guides from places like Cascade Public Media, TVW’s video voters guide, or find a local group or media outlet that you trust and see what they have to say.
3. There are also various organizations that endorse candidates, including county-level political groups, tribes, and other elected officials. Some media outlets, including the Seattle Times editorial board, will issue endorsements and explain their thinking around a particular candidate. Looking at a candidate’s website is a great place to find which groups or people across the state are backing them. Some groups that issue endorsements will have those posted on their websites too, if there’s a specific one you have in mind.
4. Want to talk about money? If you’re really digging in, you can see who is giving money to a candidate – or see how a candidate is spending their campaign cash – by looking at Washington’s Public Disclosure Commission data. 
5. Don’t forget your signature! Elections officials use the signature you have on file, from when you registered to vote or got your driver’s license, to confirm that your ballot was filled out by you. If your signature is challenged or missing from your ballot, your local elections office will contact you. But just in case, you can visit your VoteWA.gov ballot portal to track your ballot’s status from the time it's collected to the time it’s counted.
6. Ballots are due in a drop box by 8 p.m. or postmarked and in the mail on election day, Aug. 6. This election, ballots in several counties also come with an “I voted” sticker, much to the delight of the group of game developers in this story.