Grant County primary turnout slips from 2022 levels as officials look ahead to November election

EPHRATA — Grant County's voter turnout in the 2026 primary election finished at nearly 34%, a figure county election officials describe as typical for a primary election but lower than turnout seen four years ago. 

According to Grant County Elections Coordinator Rebecca Pettingill, the county recorded a 33.94% turnout, with about 18,001 ballots returned. 

"I would say it's pretty good. It's pretty close to average," Pettingill said. "We get around a 30% to 40% turnout in the primaries, depending on the year." 

While election officials consider the turnout within the normal range for a primary election, participation fell short of the county's 2022 primary turnout. 

Pettingill said Grant County recorded 39.39% turnout in 2022, compared to nearly 34% this year. The decline represented a difference of roughly 700 ballots, with approximately 18,700 ballots cast in 2022. 

However, she noted the county has added about 5,000 registered voters since the last comparable election cycle, meaning turnout percentage calculations are based on a larger voter pool. 

"We added more voters to the voting pool, but the turnout not only wasn't the same, but it was lower," Pettingill said. 

Election officials do not routinely analyze turnout by specific communities or precincts because of the complexity involved in comparing dozens of precincts and overlapping taxing districts. However, county data did reveal significant differences among age groups. 

Voters age 65 and older posted the strongest participation rate, returning 59% of ballots sent to that age group. 

The next highest turnout came from voters ages 55 to 64, who returned 42.76% of ballots, followed by ages 45 to 54 at 32.8%. 

Participation steadily declined among younger voters. Residents between 35 and 44 years old returned 22.4% of ballots, while voters aged 18 to 24 returned 14.2% and those aged 25 to 34 returned 14%. 

"The older, the higher the return rate was," Pettingill said. 

Despite wildfire disruptions elsewhere in Eastern Washington, Pettingill said Grant County experienced no significant challenges that appeared to affect turnout. 

She noted that ballots occasionally arrive in counties other than where voters are registered, particularly during emergencies. Under Washington law, voters may return their ballots to any official ballot drop box in the state, and election officials forward those ballots to the appropriate county for processing. 

One notable trend from the primary was voters' growing preference for ballot drop boxes. Nearly 63% of ballots were returned through drop boxes rather than through the mail, according to election officials. 

Pettingill said the popularity of ballot boxes helps eliminate concerns about postal delays but can create processing bottlenecks when large numbers of voters wait until Election Day to return ballots. 

Election officials also encountered a small number of voters who signed or completed ballots after Election Day, making those ballots ineligible to be counted. 

As attention shifts to the Nov. 3 general election, Pettingill encouraged residents to verify their voter registration information and mailing addresses as soon as possible. 

One of the most common problems encountered by election officials is voters moving without updating their registration information. 

"It's really important that they reach out to us and make sure that their residence and mailing addresses are up to date," she said. 

Voters can review and update their information through VoteWA.gov, by phone, or in person at the Grant County Elections Office. 

The deadline for online or mail voter registration updates is Oct. 26. After that date, registration changes must be completed in person through Election Day. 

Ballots are expected to arrive in mailboxes during the second half of October. Pettingill advised voters to contact the Elections Office if they have not received a ballot by late October. 

Election officials are also reminding voters to sign the declaration envelope before returning their ballot and to use a signature consistent with the one on file. 

"Just taking that extra time to verify that they're signing their ballot before turning it in," Pettingill said, can help prevent delays in processing. 

Pettingill urged residents with election-related questions to contact her office directly rather than rely on social media or rumors. 

"We are the best resource for any election-related information," she said. 

 General election ballot preview 

Grant County voters will face a broad ballot featuring federal, state, judicial and local races in November. 

Federal contests include the 4th Congressional District race between Amanda McKinney and John Duresky and the 5th Congressional District race between Michael Baumgartner and Camela Conroy. 

In the Legislature, voters in the 13th District will decide races for both state House seats and the state Senate. Candidates include Tom Dent and Juan "Jerry" Garcia for Position 1, Deanna Martinez and Joshua Thompson for Position 2, while Alex Ybarra is the lone candidate for the state Senate seat. 

Statewide judicial races include contests for Washington Supreme Court Positions 3, 5 and 7. 

County offices on the ballot include races for assessor, auditor, sheriff and county commissioner. The District 3 commissioner race between Shannon Durfee and Kelly Raap will become a countywide contest after being limited to District 3 voters during the primary. 

Pettingell said that Grant County Assessor write-in candidate Anson Bartrand met the 1% threshold during the primary election and his name will appear on the general ballot alongside Clayton Johnson’s. 

Appointed incumbent Shannon Falstad and candidate Darci Homesley will both be vying for the Grant County Auditor Position. Further, incumbent Joey Kriete and challenger Darrik Gregg will be competing for the Grant County Sheriff position. 

The incumbent for the Grant County Superior Court Judge Position 3 will not advance to the general election, instead candidates Kenneth “Ken” Chadwick and Trevor Bevier will compete for the position.  

Several offices feature a single candidate, including county coroner, county treasurer, several district court positions, Court of Appeals Judge Tyson Hill, and PUD commissioner races. 

Ballot measures 

In addition to candidate races, voters will weigh several local funding proposals: 

City of Moses Lake Proposition 1, which would establish a 0.1% public safety sales tax to support law enforcement, criminal justice operations and public safety programs. 

Grant County advisory Proposition 1, asking voters whether the county should impose a 0.1% sales tax dedicated to mental health treatment, chemical dependency services and therapeutic courts. 

Grant County Fire District 7 Proposition 1, a six-year emergency medical services levy of up to 50 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value. 

Grant County Cemetery District No. 2 maintenance and operations levy, seeking approximately $12,000 through a one-year excess tax levy. 

Public Hospital District No. 4 bond measure, which would authorize up to $9.94 million in general obligation bonds for expansion of McKay Healthcare & Rehabilitation Center in Soap Lake, including assisted living, memory care and community wellness facilities. 

With dozens of races and multiple tax measures on the ballot, election officials expect voter interest to increase substantially as the Nov. 3 general election approaches.