t is an annual rite of election season for the media to report and analyze and pontificate upon that nebulous creature that is “voter turnout.” You know, the statistics that demonstrate decreasing interest in the electoral process and a shrinking belief that our vote matters.
And while such stories are certain to appear again in the coming months, today we explore its corollary — “candidate turnout.” Because interested voters are driven by interesting candidates and interesting ballot measures. For all of the well-meaning suggestions over the years for ways to get voters more engaged, the most assured fashion is to have items on the ballot in which the public is interested.
With that in mind, we note that last week marked the filing period throughout Washington for the 2015 election, with hopeful candidates throwing their metaphorical hat into the ring. In Clark County, 115 competitors were compelled to answer the call and run for one of the 80 openings that will be up for grabs.
While that will make for a large number of uncontested races, the numbers at least are encouraging in the most high-profile races. The contest to become Clark County’s first council chair, for example, promises a robust exchange of ideas. All three sitting county councilors — David Madore, Tom Mielke, and Jeanne Stewart — have applied for the job. So has former county commissioner (they used to be called commissioners) Marc Boldt, along with Mike Dalesandro, a Battle Ground city councilor.
By nature of being the first race for county council chair — a position created with last year’s passage of a county charter — and by virtue of being a countywide contest, that election is certain to garner a great deal of attention. Add in the fact that there are five candidates who have political experience and proven electability — four of them at the county level — and the competition is destined to be tense.
But the competition won’t end there. Three positions are being contested for the Vancouver City Council, and all three drew at least two candidates. Five people applied for the position of Clark County councilor from newly created District 2. And a crowded field of seven candidates entered the race for an opening on the beleaguered Port of Vancouver Board of Commissioners.
Under Washington’s top-two primary, of course, the two leading vote-getters in the primary (which is Aug. 4) will advance to the Nov. 3 general election, regardless of party. Which means that in races that have two entrants, the field for November has been all but finalized. In races that have drawn one candidate, November will seem more like a coronation than an election — barring an upstart write-in campaign.
Therein lies the problem, and it is one that might call for changes in the election system. Of the 80 races that drew a candidate in Clark County, 59 will be uncontested. Three of those are for various Cemetery District positions; eight of them are in various fire protection or fire and rescue positions. And it is reasonable to question why some races — particularly for cemetery districts — remain elected positions.
Anybody who chooses to run for public office is deserving of gratitude and admiration. It is a time-consuming and often thankless endeavor, and it requires a great deal of personal sacrifice. But while kudos go to those who have decided to run this year, it must be noted that democracy is better served when more candidates enter the fray. Candidate turnout — not just voter turnout — is a valid measurement of the strength of our political system.
