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	Aug. 23, 2004 King County ready for historic new primary; first ballots in the mail Wednesday It's three weeks until the September 14 primary and King County Elections is poised to respond to the challenges of a new elections process that replaces the blanket primary that had been used in Washington for nearly 70 years. Mail-in (or absentee) ballots will be sent this week to a record 522,000 King County voters. These voters will be the first to receive the new ballot format in which voters must make a political party choice in order to cast votes in partisan offices. As much as 70 percent of the turnout in this primary is expected to be from ballots cast through the mail. The new primary requires voters to choose a party, vote for candidates within that party, and then complete the ballot by voting in the nonpartisan contests and ballot measures at the end of the ballot. New ballot formatting, color-coding, and complete, easy to understand instructions have been added to help voters navigate the ballot. To help voters get familiar with the new primary, King County has focused significant efforts on voter outreach and education. A thirty-second cable television ad and a Metro Transit bus advertising campaign convey a simple message for voters — "voting in the new primary is as easy as 1-2-3". "The goal of the outreach campaign is to encourage voters to participate in the September 14 primary regardless of how they may feel about the new process," said Dean Logan, director of King County Records, Elections and Licensing Services. "This election is too important for voters to sit out," said Logan. In addition to determining the major party nominees for all statewide, congressional and legislative offices, voters will elect one Supreme Court and two Superior Court judges — and reject or approve several local ballot propositions in the primary. A King County Local Voters' Pamphlet will begin arriving at households this week too. In addition to information about the candidates and measures on the ballot, the pamphlet provides step-by-step instructions for voting in the new primary and a list of frequently asked questions to help explain how and why this primary is different. The county's voter information hotline 296-VOTE (8683) has been expanded to provide assistance from 8:30 a.m. until 9 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. this Saturday. Automated assistance is available during off hours and on weekends. Voters will also find useful resources and a sample ballot on the county's Web site at www.metrokc.gov/elections. While some are concerned about a drop in turnout, Logan is optimistic that King County voters will show up in record numbers in the primary. "Our average primary turnout in a Presidential year has ranged from 37 percent to 41percent," said Logan. "Given the number of important issues and contests on the ballot — and all the education and outreach, I believe we may well come in at the high end of that range this year." Logan also attributed a steady stream of new voter registration applications to his expectation for turnout in the primary. IMPORTANT VOTER REGISTRATION INFORMATION To vote in the primary you must be registered to vote by Monday, Aug. 30. Prospective voters who have not yet registered must do so in person at the King County Elections Office, Room 553 (Fifth Floor) — King County Administration Building, 550 Fourth Avenue in Seattle. The office will be open for in-person voter registration from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 28 — weekend access is through the Third Avenue entrance to the King County Courthouse. The voter registration cutoff for the General Election is Oct. 2. Updated: Aug. 24, 2004 Executive's home Executive's news Executive's site map | E-mail the Executive King County | Executive | News | Services | Comments | Search Links to external sites do not constitute endorsements by King County. By visiting this and other King County web pages, you expressly agree to be bound by terms and conditions of the site. The details.