Reed predicts strong primary turnout with 'top two'

Secretary of State Sam Reed: Politicker photoSecretary of State Sam Reed issued a press release yesterday in advance of a statewide tour to promote the August 19 "top two" primary in which he predicted that voter turnout for the inaugural primary would hit 46 percent, making it one of the highest in state history.

 "We're expecting a good, strong turnout across Washington," Reed says. "Our voters are intrigued by our new Top 2 system of voting, which once again allows them to pick their favorite candidate for each office, without regard to party. This should be very popular  - it's the Washington tradition to `vote for the person, not the party.'  Even though there are not a lot of hotly contested primaries, we believe the level of interest is very high in this presidential and gubernatorial election year and that we will get a good turnout."

Still, voter turnout in the primary has not greatly fluctuated over the past four decades, with each election's voter turnout percentage falling somewhere in the 40s. It topped out in 1972 with 49 percent, and reached 45 percent in 2004 and 1992.

2004's contested Democratic primary included then-Attorney General Chris Gregoire and King County Executive Ron Sims, and 1992 had a very close Republican primary with Ken Eikenberry edging out Sid Morrison for the nomination by less than one percent. In 1972 it was former Gov. Al Rosellini defeating fellow Democrat Martin Durkin by nine points and Gov. Dan Evans retaining the Republican mantle.

This year lacks such a high profile primary battle in the gubernatorial race, thus making a potential strong turnout a real accomplishment of the new system if it happens.