Our Voice: Turn in your ballot; time is running out

For those who already have voted in the primary election, good for you.

For those still deciding, well, that’s all right.

For those who have forgotten that there is a ballot stashed somewhere in the house — please find it and turn it in.

This election is important and the Aug. 2 deadline — which is next Tuesday — will be here before you know it.

We have received phone calls from people who say they are overwhelmed with the number of candidate choices for some positions, especially at the state level, where the field in a few races is in the double digits.

On one hand, it is great to see so many people wanting to get involved in the political process. On the other hand, trying to be an informed voter can be daunting with such a crowded ballot.

Still, not wanting to sift through a large number of candidates is no reason to skip voting.

For state races, Washington state’s Public Affairs Network — TVW — is a great resource. Go to www.tvw.org and click on the video voters guide. There, most candidates running for state office have provided a video presentation, including a majority of those running for Democrat Sen. Patty Murray’s seat.

While the videos provide only a brief description, they at least allow voters to put a face with a name. The governor’s race, for example, has 11 candidates vying for the job and nine provided a video presentation.

In addition to the candidate videos, another site on TVW allows voters to watch political forums that were taped live and now are listed in the website’s archives.

For instance, the League of Women Voters sponsored candidate forums for the Commissioner of Public Lands and the Superintendent of Public Instruction, and the recorded sessions are now available for viewing online at your convenience.

As for local races, voters can learn more about the candidates online, as there is no printed voters’ guide for the primary.

For Franklin County, go to bit.ly/FranklinElections, and for Benton County, go to bit.ly/BentonElections.

In addition to narrowing candidate choices to the top two vote-getters, there are a few critical issues that will be decided in this election.

One is the proposed two-tenths of 1 percent sales tax increase in Kennewick to support construction of The Link, a 110,000-square-foot multipurpose entertainment venue that would bridge the space between the existing convention center and the Toyota Center.

It would include a 2,300-seat Broadway theater, expanded space for the convention center and improvements to the aging Toyota Center.

We already have encouraged voters to support the measure because not only would it add a much needed new amenity to the community, it also would make the Tri-Cities more competitive when it comes to attracting conventions.

We are losing out because bigger conferences have outgrown the space provided by the Three Rivers Convention Center, and this proposed packaged deal would help remedy that — as well as provide more entertainment options for local residents.

There are also two Benton County fire districts that are asking for support. In District 4, voters are being asked to renew the Emergency Medical Services Levy and remove its expiration date to provide a long-term funding source.

In Benton City, District 2 is seeking to renew its expiring tax bond, which would help replace two 20-year-old fire engines. Both of these fire district requests are important and deserve a response from voters.

Voting is a privilege and a responsibility. Don’t waste this opportunity to weigh in.

This story was originally published July 28, 2016 at 4:45 AM with the headline "Our Voice: Turn in your ballot; time is running out."