North Olympic Peninsula voters will have more choices — and taxpayers should save some money — thanks to the U.S. Supreme Court’s blessing the state’s top-two primary system.
The top-two system will debut in the election that will end Aug. 19, thanks to a 7-2 Supreme Court ruling Tuesday.
“We’re going to have a lot of happier voters in August,” Clallam County Auditor Patty Rosand said Tuesday, “not having to check a box for a party.”
It also means auditors’ workers won’t have to check that voters checked a box — and then voted only for candidates from that party.
That’s because voters no longer need pick a party but happy-go-luckily can choose any single candidate in any single race.
Clallam County’s home-rule charter says only county commissioners and the prosecuting attorney must run as party candidates, so the primary ballot may be bigger if independent and minor party candidates join the fray, Rosand said.
