Voter registration deadline nears
HUNTER
T. GEORGE; The News Tribune
8/21/04
Pierce County, WA - Time is running out to register to vote in the
Sept. 14 primary, which will choose nominees for high-profile races
such as U.S. Senate and governor, and even choose overall winners
in some local races.
It's too late to register by mail. But eligible voters can register
in person at county elections offices until Aug. 30.
The Pierce County auditor's office is in the county Public Services
Building (known as the "annex"), 2401 S. 35th St., Room
200, Tacoma. In King County, the elections division is located in
the King County Administration Building, 500 4th Ave., Seattle. In
Thurston County, the county auditor is located at 2000 Lakeridge Dr.
SW, Olympia.
To register, a voter must be a U.S. citizen, a legal resident of Washington
and be at least 18 years old by election day.
County elections officials say the pace is exceeding voter registration
four years ago, when Republican George W. Bush and Democrat Al Gore
were battling for the White House.
Pierce County has 370,667 registered voters, according to county Auditor
Pat McCarthy's office.
In 2000, there were 13,540 new registrants between Feb. 11 and Aug.
11.
This year, 26,282 people registered during the same period.
The September primary features contested races for governor, state
Supreme Court, attorney general, state schools superintendent, the
state House, local Superior Court judgeships and a Pierce County Council
seat, among others.
Hunter T. George: 253-597-8530
hunter.george@mail.tribnet.com
Voter registration at a glance
Pierce County (as of this month):
Absentee voters: 256,721 (69 percent)
Poll voters: 113,946
Total: 370,667
Total in November 2000: 360,463
Statewide (November 2000): 3.33 million
Statewide (November 2003): 3.21 million
SOURCE: Pierce County auditor and the Washington Secretary of State's
Office