First things first: Get registered
You can check the status of your Washington voter’s registration at the state’s new VoteWA portal. Legislators passed several new voter access expansions this year including pre-registration for minors, same-day registration and free postage. You have until Nov. 5 to get in your ballot. To count, ballots must be postmarked or placed in a local dropbox by 8 p.m. that Tuesday.
Ballots will start going out in the mail Oct. 18. After you return your ballot, you can also make sure it was received and accepted for tabulation through VoteWA. Here’s a look at what happens to your ballot after it’s sent.
Voters can find a state guide to Whitman County candidates and local measures here. The League of Women Voters has also posted candidate and other ballot info at Vote411.org.
LOCAL ISSUES
Pullman Regional Hospital proposed bond levy: Read our previous in-depth reporting on that proposal from earlier this year and click here to explore the contributors and spending for the proposal’s campaign.
Unincorporated county road levy lid lift: The proposed levy lift would collect another $1.4 million a year for primarily increasing gravel road maintenance, hiring additional staff and other infrastructure repairs. Read our coverage here.
CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRES
Whitman County Watch sent questionnaires on local issues to candidates in contested municipal races throughout the county. All six Pullman City Council candidates participated. Another eight various city and town candidates also provided answers. Dozens of other candidates did not respond or did not list contact information in their public filings. If any other candidates would like to participate prior to Oct. 18, please contact me at: whitmancowatch@gmail.com
Pullman City Council
Francis A. Benjamin (At-large, challenger)
Eileen “Mac” Macoll (At-large, incumbent)
Chris Johnson (Ward 1, challenger)
Nathan Weller (Ward 2, uncontested)
Patricia “Pat” Wright (Ward 3, uncontested)
Other town and city candidates
Mark Mackleit, Colfax City Council (Pos. 4 – incumbent)
Jim Kackman, Colfax City Council (Pos. 6 – incumbent)
Dominic Villareal, Colfax City Council (Pos. 6 – challenger)
Colleen Cross, Malden Town Council (Pos. 1 – challenger)
Robert Ward, Rosalia Town Council (Pos. 4 – incumbent)
Bethany Fletcher, Tekoa City Council (Pos. 3 – incumbent)
Michael Shore, Uniontown Town Council (Pos. 1 – challenger)
Jonathan Musson, Uniontown Town Council (Pos. 4 – challenger)
Pullman School Board candidate responses
Beth Ficklin, Pullman School Board (Dist. 1, challenger)
Susan S. Weed, Pullman School Board (Dist. 1, incumbent)
Allison Munch-Rotolo, Pullman School Board (Dist. 2, uncontested)