Ballots for the Aug. 2 primary election are scheduled to be mailed this week, with the first ballots showing up in voters’ mailboxes beginning Friday. County Auditor Greg Kimsey is hoping a last-minute lawsuit won’t delay that process.
The lawsuit, filed by Vancouver residents Carolyn Crain and Penny Ross, seeks to have John Ley’s name removed from the ballot. Ley is running as a Republican for the 18th Legislative District House Position 2 seat. Crain and Ross say Ley doesn’t live in the district and thus isn’t eligible to run for the office.
Whether Ley lives in the 18th District or at his home in Camas, which is in the 17th District, was at the heart of a voter registration challenge filed by Crain in May. Late last week, Kimsey ruled on that challenge, finding Ley did not reside at the Battle Ground address he provided on his voter registration when he filed to run for office. Ley claimed he was renting a room for $1 a month from friends who own the Battle Ground home.
Despite the ruling, Kimsey declined to cancel Ley’s voter registration after Ley again changed his address on July 4, this time to an apartment on Northeast Hazel Dell Avenue. The apartment lies within the 18th Legislative District.
The lawsuit argues Kimsey and other local elected officials have the power to strike Ley’s name from the ballot. Kimsey said he does not. In an interview Friday, Kimsey said a decision will have to made by the courts.
The lawsuit is scheduled for a hearing at 8:30 a.m. today in Superior Court.
With a number of other high-profile races on the ballot, Kimsey is hopeful for a higher than average voter turnout.
“We’re thinking 40-45 percent,” Kimsey said. “At the county level, the sheriff’s race has been hotly contested. There’s been a lot of campaigning going on for that.”
Kimsey also said the 3rd Congressional District race, which has eight Republican and Democratic candidates challenging U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Battle Ground, should draw more voters.
An online voters’ guide and a sample ballot listing the candidates and ballot measures appearing on the Aug. 2 ballot is available at the Elections Office website at clarkvotes.org.
Replacement ballot
Any voter who hasn’t received a ballot by July 21 should call the Elections Office at 564-397-2345 to request a replacement. Although replacement ballots may be requested in person at the Elections Office (1408 Franklin St., Vancouver) voters are encouraged to request a replacement by email or by phone. After July 18, replacement ballots may also be requested or accessed electronically at VoteWA.gov to print out and return by mail or drop box.
Email requests should be sent to elections@clark.wa.gov. The mailing address is Clark County Elections Office, PO Box 8815, Vancouver, WA 98666-8815.
If you haven’t yet registered to vote, there is still time. The last day to submit new voter registrations and voter updates to existing registrations online or by mail is 5 p.m., July 25. Voters can still register and update existing voter registrations after July 25, but will have to do so in person at the elections office no later than 8 p.m., Aug. 2.
Ballots can be returned by mail or left in one of the 22 ballot drop boxes across the county. Kimsey said the drop boxes in Battle Ground and Ridgefield have been moved, so voters should check the county website for locations at https://clark.wa.gov/elections/ballot-deposit-locations.
Preliminary election results will be posted at clarkvotes.org and columbian.com around 8:15 p.m. on election night.
