It’s Election Day in Washington, with voters making choices in the local, state and federal primary races.
Whatcom and Skagit County voters have gone to the mail-in “polls” since ballots were sent in July to narrow the fields for public seats including U.S. senator, U.S. representative, state senators and representatives, governor, secretary of state, state treasurer, attorney general, commissioner of public lands, superintendent of public instruction, local fire district and Public Utility District races, and more.
Initial results from the county are expected sometime after 8 p.m. Tuesday. Voters have until 8 p.m. to drop their ballots off at one of Whatcom County’s drop boxes or Skagit County’s drop boxes.
The Whatcom County Auditor’s Office reported that 30,759 ballots from the county’s 162,061 registered voters had already been received and accepted by Monday, Aug. 5. The Skagit County Auditor’s Office has not yet released the number of ballots that have been returned, but 86,303 voters are registered in the county.
Initial results will be a partial tally of early votes. Results from additional counts of incoming ballots are expected to be posted by the auditor’s office.
Results of the primary election will be certified Aug. 20.
In the meantime, check back here for a look at Election Day in Whatcom and Skagit counties, updated live.
Live updates
8 p.m.
Kailey Schillinger-Brokaw cast the last vote in the 2024 primary election at the ballot box in the parking lot of the Whatcom County Courthouse. The box was closed at 8 p.m. sharp, which meant that more than a dozen people who showed up after Schillinger-Brokaw were unable to cast their ballot.
“Even though I was running late, it’s been on my mind — it’s just a busy busy day,” Schillinger-Brokaw said.
She explained that the primary is how voters can set themselves up for the most options that align with their values.
“The way you make change is by giving yourself options,” she said.
She said while there are so many issues to care and be passionate about, it stood out to her that Patrick DePoe, a former Makah Tribal council member, was running for Washington public lands commissioner.
“I think that’s fantastic and could potentially be a really huge step towards the kind of representation that I think is necessary and long overdue for Indigenous folks that have been here since time immemorial,” Schillinger-Brokaw said.
7:55 p.m.
Elections workers are approaching ballot boxes, preparing for their 8 p.m. closure.
7:50 p.m.
Ballot boxes close in 10 minutes.
7:43 p.m.
Louis Coletta came out to vote because to him, it’s important to “weed out a lot of people who have no reason to be in politics.”
The 71-year-old Burlington resident said that despite Washington feeling like a one-party state, he still shows up to vote.
“I love to give the other side a lot of heartache, there’s no doubt about it,” he said. “I’ve been on Republican side for all my life. I just love niggling them.”
7:19 p.m.
Kevin Burke said that when it comes to the primary, he’s mostly excited about the possibility of “stopping Ferguson,” referring to governor candidate Bob Ferguson.
“Not only is it a privilege to exercise my right, but I don’t like … the leftward hurdling direction we’re going into,” he said.
7:18 p.m.
A manufacturing manager turned homemaker, 59-year-old Diane Roberts of Deming is “hopeful but realistic,” for the primary and upcoming general election.
“If things don’t change, we’re screwed, and I’m not overly optimistic,” Roberts said. “I’m sad, and I’m frightened.”
7:16 p.m.
Chris Cochran, 50, of Blaine deadpanned that “his wife” got him out to vote. But he said the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction race, the governor race and Alicia Rule got him to the ballot box.
He said he’s most concerned about school funding, but also wants to see balance in state government. He said he often votes Democrat but sees how they sometimes have a bit too much control in Olympia.
He said he and his wife also wanted to vote in favor of the North Whatcom Fire and Rescue levy, to make sure they get the funding they need.
7:10 p.m.
Ferndale resident and retired social education teacher, Diane Vyskocyl, 88, explained that she “carefully” studied up on candidates earlier this afternoon.
“I’m looking for those who support higher education, high school and elementary education,” said Vyskocyl, a longtime advocate.
7:09 p.m.
Dave Bramer literally ran from his home in the Columbia neighborhood to downtown Bellingham to vote — something he does every election.
“It’s a way that we can make a choice in the somewhat chaotic world that we’re living in,” Bramer said of his choice to vote.
He explained that with the primary narrowing down the field to who would appear on the ballot in the general election, he was focused on candidates who would be “working to unify and not be divisive in their stances.”
7:08 p.m.
Jessica Lewallen, a Bellingham resident, said there were “so many things” on the ballot this year.
But she was it was cool that she got to vote for her boss: she works in cybersecurity in the office of State Auditor Pat McCarthy, who’s up for reelection.
7:04 p.m.
Leslie Crawford and Michael Berry were out for a walk with their son Stanley when they dropped their ballots off.
“With the way the top two works, it’s a little more important to get everybody out, because otherwise you’re gonna end up with choices you don’t really want,” Crawford said.
7:03 p.m.
7:02 p.m.
Brittney Pouley, 33, said she used the progressive voter guide as a starting point when she was learning about who was running for governor. Then she did more research to see who truly aligned with her values.
“I was raised that it’s important to vote, and especially being a woman, it’s not always a right that we’ve had. So it’s like the least I can do,” the Skagit County resident said.
7:01 p.m.
Larry Goetz, 71, has lived in Blaine for five years.
He said he’s a Democrat and supports Sen. Maria Cantwell, but said he’s not super tuned into the local races. However, he said he still felt the need to vote and he couldn’t recall missing an election since he turned 18.
“I was really surprised to see how many people were running for governor,” he said, adding that he enjoyed reading all of their bios in the voter pamphlet.
6:53 p.m.
Robin Rieck, 77, turned in his ballot to the downtown Bellingham ballot box.
“It’s my civic duty. It’s the only way our system works, in my opinion,” Rieck said. “What’s the alternative? Authoritarian society?”
He explained that he is especially concerned with the “great inequality of wealth that’s plaguing the whole country.”
“It distorts everything,” Rieck said. “All that money can distort elections.”
He also said LGBTQ+ rights and women’s rights are important to him.
6:50 p.m.
55-year-old Lynn Irngstad, works for Whatcom Hospice and dropped off her ballot on Tuesday, accompanied by her dog Casper.
“I think it’s important for everybody to vote,” Irngstad said. “A lot of people feel like it doesn’t matter, but I feel differently.”
6:49 p.m.
Longtime Ferndale resident Karen Herman, 69, dropped off her ballot from the window of her car.
“For me, I don’t like where our country is at right now and I’m hoping to vote people into office to make that change,” Herman said.
6:48 p.m.
Conner Bolick, 23, a Blaine resident who voted at the library Tuesday night said he votes for pro-union candidates.
He’s part of Local 292 and said he felt it was important to get out to vote to keep unions strong.
Bolick said he’s also in favor of the North Whatcom Fire & Rescue levy to make sure they can adequately fund their services.
6:42 p.m.
Cindy Hayertz, 59, said she felt this year was a super important year to vote because of the division and polarization in the political climate.
To the Mount Vernon resident, some of the smaller races on the ballot, like public lands commissioner, are the most important.
“I’ve been doing some legacy walks of old growth timberland in Blanchard in different parcels that they want to log off,” she said. “The idea that loggers can get around and cut some of this old growth that is supposedly protected but they accidentally cut it — I want someone who’s going to stand up for that piece.”
She believes the people who run in the smaller races may eventually go on to run for a larger office, such as governor.
6:41 p.m.
6:40 p.m.
Kristanie Ulrich, 32, of Blaine walked up to the ballot box at Blaine Library with her family. She said her family is “pro-education” and cares about fire services — her father is a fire chief in Whatcom County.
Ulrich said those two issues significantly impact the community, which is why they showed up to vote.
6:34 p.m.
Roberta Reyes, 71, of Blaine said she’s voting in the primary “because most people aren’t.”
“I’m a U.S. citizen, and it’s a privilege to vote any time we can,” she said. “We gotta make some changes and get some people who have integrity and care for our community, our cities, our nation.”
Reyes said she cares about the state of the economy and wants to see elected officials keep cost of living “decent.
Reyes said she also intends to vote in the general election, which she considers “a lot more important.”
“We gotta get a good commander in chief to run this country,” she said.
6:33 p.m.
Judah Berdan, a 20-year-old Ferndale resident, walked up to the Ferndale ballot box. He described himself as someone who is “passionate about financial and personal freedoms.”
“I’m personally pro-gun and am for lower taxes, less government control in my life … that’s what I like,” said Berdan, a registered Republican.
Berdan graduated from Bellingham Technical College with an associate degree and currently works for the City of Lynden’s wastewater treatment plant.
6:27 p.m.
Ryan Ziels, 36, pulled up to the downtown Bellingham ballot box on a bike with 4-year-old Soren Ziels riding in a seat behind him.
He pointed out that voting in the primary was important because it sets the stage for the general election.
“I just think voting on local issues is really what can impact your daily life,” Ziels said. “It’s important to cast every vote we can, especially for things that impact our region.”
6:25 p.m.
Nathaniel Crocker, 65, and Martha Menard, 68, said they vote all the time. They showed up to the Blaine Library ballot box to drop off their ballots.
“It’s what our country’s founded on …” Crocker said. “I’m always shocked that more people don’t vote.”
Crocker said they’re both concerned about former President Donald Trump’s agenda and Project 2025.
“What is this, 1930s Germany?” Menard said.
6:21 p.m.
Michelle England, 49, and her wife Courtney Jones, a 43-year-old priest at Christ Church Anacortes, strolled up to the Ferndale ballot box on foot. England and Jones moved from Texas two years ago, and said they appreciate Washington’s voting system in comparison to the one in Texas.
“You get a lot more time to study the candidates and their positions,” Jones said, referencing the Whatcom County’s voter guide. “It’s really nicely laid out and helpful … It’s a more democratic process.”
6:18 p.m.
Beckie Tjersland, 65, described herself as a “fence person” who tends to be more conservative. She was voting at the Skagit County Courthouse. She thinks all the state races in the primary are important.
“I believe in our parental rights to our children’s education,” she said.
6:15 p.m.
Ian McCourry, 21, said that it’s important that younger voters’ voices are heard after dropping off his ballot with a friend in downtown Bellingham.
“I think it’s exciting just because this is the first time in my adult life that the governor has changed,” McCourry said of the primary election.
“I think voting in every election that you can is important, even though it’s not the big general election.”
McCourry said many of the more progressive issues are important to him, such as climate change and Medicare for all.
6:13 p.m.
6:12 p.m.
Blaine resident Dani Becerra came to vote at the Blaine Library Tuesday night. She’s a Canadian and said she became a US citizen in 2022 to vote.
6:10 p.m.
Aaron Rasmussen, 57, said what stood out in this primary is that the governor’s seat is open for the first time in 12 years. The Mount Vernon resident has voted in most elections and is looking forward to the General Election in November.
6:08 p.m.
Construction of the Skagit County Courthouse has closed one of the courthouse parking lots, but parking is available near the drop box on the north side of the building. See map here.
Skagit County residents dropping their ballots off at the courthouse in Mount Vernon have to maneuver around construction. The roof of the courthouse is being removed.
6:02 p.m.
“I haven’t stopped voting since I was 18 when I got the vote against Nixon,” 70-year-old Ron Merlina said. “You don’t get too excited about the primary, but it’s a duty.”
Merlina, who rolled up to the ballot box on his bike, said when it came to the general election there was a lot of fear and a lot of hope, especially around national-level elections.
“You gotta do your duty if you want the democracy to work.”
5:56 p.m.
