Kimsey: Mailing to voters has value

Since the Clark County Elections Department re-issued voter registration cards, Auditor Greg Kimsey said, he’s fielded question after question about why it was necessary.

At a cost of $45,000, the department sent 248,615 Clark County voters their new registration information this month.

Though voters do not use the cards to find polling places due to Washington’s vote-by-mail system, Kimsey said the cards provide “valuable information” to voters following the approval of Clark County’s Home Rule Charter, which was passed last November.

The charter divided the county into four council districts as opposed to the former three commissioner districts. Voters from District 2, which includes western portions of Clark County north of Vancouver, will elect a new councilor this November. A council chair will be elected countywide.

The information on the cards will allow voters to know what races and issues to expect on their ballots, as well as to know what positions they’re eligible to run for if interested, Kimsey said. This year, the filing period for candidates is May 11 to 15.

The new cards have also allowed the county to identify 6,500 voters whose registration either needs to be updated or canceled, Kimsey said. Voter registration cards cannot be forwarded and are instead returned to Clark County, allowing elections officials to follow up with voters to determine their new address or determine whether they’re still eligible to vote in Clark County.

For more information on voter registration, contact the Elections Department at 360-397-2345 or by emailing elections@clark.wa.gov.