Friday deadline for registering as a write-in candidate

By Evan Smith

If you live in Lake Forest Park or other parts of the 46th Legislative District, you could challenge unopposed Democratic incumbent State Sen. David Frockt by registering as a write-in candidate, or anyone in the State could challenge unopposed Democratic State treasurer Jim McIntire the same way.

You’ll have to move fast because Friday is the deadline to register as a write-in candidate for the Aug. 7 primary election.

A registered write-in candidate will have his or her votes counted even with minor misspellings or if the candidate’s party preference is wrong or missing.

Candidates who register as write-in candidates must post the same filing fee or submit the same number of signatures as candidates who file for ballot positions. That’s $421 or 421 signatures for state senator, $1,169 or $1,169 signatures for state treasurer.

Candidates for offices within King County – including the 46th District -- file at the County elections office in Renton. Candidates for statewide offices or for legislative and congressional districts that cross county lines file at the secretary of state’s office in Olympia.

A Republican has registered as a write-in candidate in south Snohomish County against a Democratic legislator who will be unopposed on the Aug. 7 primary ballot.

A Republican in the Bothell area has announced a write-in campaign against another unopposed Democratic legislator without registering.

Either one could qualify for the Nov. 6 general-election ballot by finishing second in the primary with at least 1 percent of the primary vote.

So far, no one has announced a write-in campaign against either Frockt or McIntire.

A registered write-in candidate qualified for the general-election ballot two years ago in the 10th Legislative District in Island, northwest Snohomish and west Skagit counties. Registered write-in candidates qualified for the general-election ballot four years ago in two Central Washington legislative districts.