Pierce County Elections: What to Expect with This Year's Ballot

Mail-in ballots for Pierce County will be mailed on July 29 and registered voters will receive them in early August.

To kick off election season, here are some quick facts on this year’s election, courtesy of Pierce County.

• Registration deadline in-person (new voters only): Aug. 8
• Election Day: Aug. 16, results at 8:15 p.m.
• Canvassing Board Meeting: Aug. 26, 1 p.m.
• Canvassing Board Meeting – Certification: Aug. 31, 11 a.m.

• Total registered voters: 412,294
• Registered voters in this election: 366,522
• Percentage of voters in this election: 88.9 percent
• Number of precincts in this election: 323
• Expected Turnout: 21 percent
• 2009 Primary Election turnout: 19.23 percent
• 2007 Primary Election turnout: 24.46 percent

• The Primary Election is not countywide.
• The Primary ballot contains races with three or more candidates.
• Races with two or less candidates will be on the General Election ballot.
• This is why many voters will only be voting on a few offices or issues in the primary.
• Some voters will not vote at all in the primary.

• Dupont
• Milton
• Orting
• Puyallup
• Sumner
• Tacoma (District No. 1 only)
• University Place
• Puyallup School District No. 3
• Tacoma School District No. 10
• Bethel School District No. 403
• West Pierce Fire and Rescue No. 3
• Central Pierce Fire and Rescue No. 6
• Graham Fire and Rescue No. 21
• East Pierce Fire and Rescue No. 22
• Anderson Island Park and Recreation
• Peninsula Metropolitan Park (Ashlee Lehnert, , Curtis Hancock, )

• Auburn
• Carbonado
• Eatonville, McKenna and South Pierce County
• Fife
• City of Gig Harbor and the Key Peninsula
• Joint Base Lewis McChord
• Pacific
• South Prairie
• Steilacoom
• Wilkeson

• Vote-By-Mail
• Polling places are closed.
• For 17 percent of voters, this will be a big change.
• A ballot will be mailed to each voter.
• Mail (postage required) or drop off your ballot before August 16.
• A notice is being sent to former poll voters asking them to update their signature.

• Express booths have been retired.
• Expensive to staff, maintain, move and store.
• Booths were breaking down after nearly two decades of use.

• Gig Harbor Fire Station, 6711 Kimball Dr.
• Safeway, 4811 Pt. Fosdick Dr. NW
• Purdy Fire Station, 5210 144th St. NW

• 25 sites across the county.
• Open 24/7.
• No postage required.
• All sites close 8 p.m. on Election Night.

• The Vote-By-Mail legislation closed the polls.
• Also required each county to establish voting centers.
• Six voting centers across the County
• Open Monday, Aug. 15 and Tuesday, Aug.16 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

• Voter registration.
• Accessible voting using a touch screen machine.
• Provisional ballots.
• Voter assistance.
• Voting Centers are not polling places. They are locations to get special assistance with voting.

• Stickers are now provided in the voters’ pamphlet.