August 6 primary election ballots mailed

Ballots for the August 6 primary election are set to be mailed to voters across Whatcom County on July 17. 

According to the most recent data from the Whatcom County Auditor’s Office, 160,384 registered voters were slated to receive ballots in Whatcom County this week.

Below are the positions and measures up for election that will most impact Blaine and Birch Bay residents:

• Federal positions: Senate, District 2 Congressional Representative

• Statewide positions: Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, State Treasurer, State Auditor, Attorney General, Commissioner of Public Lands, Superintendent of Public Instruction, Insurance Commissioner

• State legislature: District 42 State Representatives – position one and two

• State Supreme Court Justice Position Two

• Various precinct committee officer positions

• Proposition 2024-17: Levy lid lift for North Whatcom Fire and Rescue (NWFR)

The NWFR levy lid lift is a measure to increase the property tax collected for the fire district from its current $0.76 per $1,000 to $1.10 per $1,000 in assessed home value. It would cost the owner of a $500,000 home an additional $14.16 per month, or $170 a year.

The funds would go toward replacing the aging Fire Station 63 in Birch Bay, hiring more personnel and upgrading fire engines, according to NWFR.

For more information on specific candidates for each position, visit bit.ly/3W81KsW.

Registered voters can vote as soon as they receive ballots, either by mail, drop box returns, or in person at the auditor’s office. 

Voter registration and address changes done online or via mail must be received by the auditor’s office by Monday, July 29 in order to be eligible to vote in the election. After July 29, people will need to visit the auditor’s office to register to vote or make an address change.  

There are 21 drop boxes in Whatcom County accepting ballots for the primary, including at Blaine Public Library (610 3rd Street), North Whatcom Fire and Rescue’s Birch Bay station (4581 Birch Bay-Lynden Road) and Custer Elementary School (7660 Custer School Road). All ballot boxes will close at 8 p.m. on Election Day, August 6.

Ballots must be returned into a drop box by 8 p.m. August 6, or postmarked by August 6 to be counted, according to the auditor’s office.

Whatcom County Auditor Stacey Henthorn has invited the public to attend open election center tours to observe the election process, witness the security measures in place and see how votes get counted. Tours are held in the auditor’s office, located in suite B03 of the Whatcom County Courthouse, 311 Grand Avenue, Tuesday, July 30 through Friday, August 2 from 9 to 11 a.m. or from 1 to 3 p.m.

To schedule a tour, contact Kellye Connor at 360/778-5108 or kconner@co.whatcom.wa.us. Space is limited and tours last between 30 and 45 minutes. For more information on voting in the August primary, how to register to vote, or any other election information, visit the auditor’s office at whatcomcounty.us/199/Auditor.