Ballots in the mail on Wednesday

MONTESANO — Ballots for the General Election should be arriving in voters’ mail boxes by the end of this week.

Grays Harbor Elections Supervisor Katy Moore says that 37,294 ballots will be mailed on Wednesday for voters to decide on everything from congressional and legislative races to key county posts.

New voters still can walk into the county Auditor’s Office and register to vote in person until Oct. 27, but changes of address should have been done by now. Anyone who moved and doesn’t get a ballot can also pick their ballot up at the Auditor’s Office.

On the county-wide ballot, there’s contested elections for assessor between incumbent Rick Hole, running as a member of Neither Party and Dan Lindgren, a Democrat; for prosecutor between Democrats Mike Spencer and Katie Svoboda and for county commissioner between Vickie Raines, who states no party preference, and Keith Olson, a Republican.

Stephen Brown is also on the ballot running unopposed for the District Court judge post, although he was recently appointed to Grays Harbor Superior Court. If Brown wins the District Court seat, he can choose not to accept it.

The county commissioners on Monday were mulling a process to accept potential candidates for the open District Court seat. At this point, the commissioners were crafting a questionnaire, based on the governor’s recent superior court questionnaire, to send out to potential candidates. No deadlines have been set.

Auditor Vern Spatz also notes that if a candidate were to run a successful write-in campaign against Brown, then that write-in candidate would end up in the position as soon as the election is certified, despite whatever appointments are made in the interim. Spatz said he had a couple of calls inquiring about the write-in process.

Other county positions on the ballot, all running unopposed, include Spatz, Sheriff Rick Scott, Treasurer Ron Strabbing, Clerk Cheryl Brown, Coroner Lane Youmans and District Court Judge Tom Copland.

Fire District 17 at Humptulips is asking its residents for a one-year levy to generate $13,000 for its ambulance service that will end up going to the city of Hoquiam.

In the 19th District, state Rep. Dean Takko, D-Longview, is running against David Steenson, a Libertarian, and Rep. Brian Blake, D-Aberdeen, is running against Republican High Fleet. In the 24th Legislative District, Kevin Van De Wege, D-Sequim, is running unopposed while Rep. Steve Tharinger, D-Sequim, is running against Republican Thomas Greisamer.

Also on the ballot will be Congressman Derek Kilmer, who is opposed by Republican challenger Marty McClendon.

In Pacific County, voters will chose between Prosecutor David Burke and Mark McClain, and Commissioner Lisa Ayers and her challenger, Michael Hess. Republican Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler also faces a challenge from Democrat Bob Dingethal.

Voters in both counties will also decide on three initiatives — two dueling initiatives on background checks for gun purchases, and one on reducing class sizes in schools.