26,000 early Tri-Cities votes and counting. How that compares to the last presidential election
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Tri-Cities 2024 General Election Coverage
Ballots are out now for the 2024 Presidential Election on Nov. 5. Check out our coverage on all the races impacting the Tri-Cities.
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Nearly 26,000 Tri-City voters have returned their ballots ahead of the Nov. 5 general election, but it’s slower than four years ago.
The returns in Benton and Franklin counties are about 20,000 short of what was reported 13 days out from the 2020 election. At this same time that presidential election year, 46,000 ballots had been received.
“There has been a steady uptick in people coming into our voting center to register, update their registration or get replacement ballots,” said Benton County Auditor Brenda Chilton. “We expect that to continue to tread up next next week, with the online/mail-in deadline passing on Monday. Voters will need to come in person to register or update their information.”
Voter turnout in 2020 topped 82% in Benton County and 78% in Franklin County. So far, about 16% of Benton County voters and 11% of Franklin County voters have voted.
“As for projected turnout, we are expecting it to be at least at 2020 numbers, if not higher,” Chilton said. “There is a lot of interest in this election, obviously on a national level, but folks are voting on statewide initiatives and a local school measure, as well as the state and local races.”
Presidential election years regularly see the highest turnout.
By comparison, during midterm elections from 2014 to 2022, just 50-70% of registered Tri-City voters returned their ballots. And as few as one-third of voters turnout during odd-year elections, when local candidates run.
There are more than 176,000 registered voters throughout the Tri-Cities region.
They’ll vote on the race for president, a U.S. Senate seat, Washington governor and other state executive positions and one of two congressional races. Ballots were sent out to registered voters a week ago.
More than 4.9 million Washington voters also will decide whether to approve four controversial initiatives that would allow workers to opt out of the state’s long-term cares tax, prohibit government bans on natural gas, repeal an excise tax on capital gains and repeal the carbon credit program for the state’s largest polluters.
Election workers have begun collecting ballots from local drop boxes, processing and organizing them at local county-run election centers, verifying signatures and marking them as “accepted” in the state’s registration system.
The actual vote tabulating can’t start until 8 p.m. on election night, after drop boxes and polls have closed for voting.
Washington state uses voting through the mail and by drop boxes, which are open from 20 days before Nov. 5.
New voters can register online or by mail through Oct. 28, or in-person through Election Day. All you need to register online is a Washington state driver license or ID.
The U.S. Postal Service recommends putting ballots in the mail at least a week before Election Day because mail in the Tri-Cities is processed in Spokane before being returned to county election officials.
County canvassing boards will certify the election results by Nov. 26.
This story was originally published October 24, 2024 at 11:26 AM.
