New date for primary clears Washington legislature

By John Vlahovich
Spokane Public Radio

Wednesday morning’s 94 to 3 vote by Washington Representatives means that beginning next year, Washington’s primary election will move forward one month to the third Tuesday in August.

The bill changing the state’s primary election date passed the Senate in February. Now all that’s required is the governor’s signature.

Supporters say Washington’s primary and general elections need to be further apart on the calendar to allow time to certify close primary elections and to accommodate overseas voters.

Oak Harbor Republican Barbara Bailey’s district includes the Whidbey Island Naval Air Station. She says base personnel deployed overseas complain about not being given enough time between the current primary and general elections to receive and return their ballots.

“The spouses that are left behind really struggle to try to get their ballots to them. As a matter of fact I’ve had many of them come to me and ask me why can’t we do something? There’s just not enough time. So today, we’re going to do something,” Bailey concluded.

Representatives otherwise favoring the primary change worry about losing the 30-day freeze on receiving campaign contributions after the end of a legislative session. A similar freeze before the start of a session continues.

Ed Orcutt from Kalama in southwest Washington was prepared to offer an amendment reinstating the after-session freeze period. But his desire to insure the military vote prompted Orcutt to back off, with a promise that he’d be back to fight another day.

“We have time next year to advance this as a stand-alone bill. But for now, it’s with a heavy heart, but for a very good reason I believe I will not be not be moving adoption of the amendment. I will withdraw it,” said Orcutt.

The change to the primary date will not affect this year’s elections because the measure does not become effective until 2007.