‘Historic’ election day coming down to the wire in Tri-Cities as ballots still pour in

It was after 9 p.m. Tuesday when the last ballot was cast at the Benton County Voting Center on Columbia Center Boulevard.

At 8 p.m. more than 100 people were in line to vote there and were given numbers as the last of them waited to get into the building and vote.

“I got off work late,” said Geo Rivera, 19, who was voting in his first presidential election. “But I know every vote counts. So if I’m the last one in line, so be it.”

Earlier in the day another teenager also voted in her first presidential election.

Courtney Rosenkranz turned 18 on Nov. 3, and she didn’t delay her participation in the democratic process.

Rosenkranz took a break from her online classes Tuesday morning so she could register to vote at the Benton County Voting Center.

Then, the teen cast her first ballot in what some election officials say could be one of the most important elections of a lifetime.

Michelle Rosenkranz said she was really proud of her daughter considering the 51-year-old mother only voted for the first time four years ago.

A supporter of President Donald Trump, she acknowledged having family members who’ve voted for challenger Joe Biden.

What’s most important to the mother is that her kids exercise their rights, so she tells them: “I don’t care who you vote for. It’s your right to choose who you want, and I’ll take you.”

The Tri-Cities mother and daughter were just two of the tens of thousands to return their ballots to Benton and Franklin counties through the mail, drop boxes and in person at voting centers.

“Today went really smooth,” said Shawn Bohlinger, the on-site coordinator for the Columbia Center Boulevard voting center, at the end of the night Tuesday.

Record ballot returns

As of Monday, the day before the general election, Benton County reported a 67 percent return, according to the Washington state Secretary of State website. That means nearly 87,600 of the county’s 125,900 registered voters had returned their ballot, not including the final election day push.

By 5 p.m. Tuesday, Benton County’s return rate jumped to 76 percent, with 95,514 votes. The registered number of voters increased to 126,129.

Franklin County had a 65-percent return, with about 27,300 votes cast out of 41,700 registered voters on Monday, the Secretary of State website showed.

On Tuesday, that increased to 30,129 votes cast for a 72-percent return. The number of registered voters increased to 41,872.

Adams and Yakima counties are showing the lowest ballot returns, both at 64 percent. Statewide, the total is 77 percent.

Franklin County Auditor Matt Beaton described the turnout as historic, “for this point on Election Day to have that many people that have already participated.”

Earlier Tuesday, before the Election Day update, he said his count showed a 67-percent return so far for the county, and added that there may be a lag in what shows on the state site.

In comparison, Franklin County had a 47-percent ballot return the day before the 2016 general election and a 53-percent return the day before the 2012 general election.

Beaton said once all of the ballots are in — including those that arrive later in the mail with the Nov. 3 postmark — he hopes to see the county hit the 80s or even 90s for return rates.

He said it’s quite a change from the times the county has only seen percentages in the 20s.

“Everybody in America — to have the right to vote — what a gift, because it’s not ubiquitous in every locale around the world,” Beaton told the Tri-City Herald.

“We’re in a time now where people have never been this affected by their government,” he said. “And to get to have an election that, whatever comes out on the other end, the higher the participation, the more certain we are on the will of the people. I think it’s great.”

Drop boxes throughout the two counties saw a steady stream of traffic all day Tuesday, expecting to get heavier as the 8 p.m. deadline approached.

According to one Tri-Cities Facebook post, a person was hanging around the ballot drop box in Richland’s Jefferson Park on Tuesday morning handing out Spudnuts and “I Voted” stickers.

Elections offices also reported constant foot traffic with people wanting to register for the first time or seeking replacement ballots.

This story was originally published November 3, 2020 at 2:09 PM.