Primary Election

The question on everybody's lips is, does the primary matter?

Ballots drop this week for the August 19 top-two primary, bringing you candidates who get to pick a party preference regardless of the actual preference of that party. We can't wait to see who wins.

The top two lawyers threaten that the litigation isn’t over; the state is moving forward with the top-two primary as planned. If this keeps up, only the top two voters will actually turn out.

Postman has the latest instructions from the Secretary of State about the logistics of the top-two primary. It's not going to be pretty. I've said here that the structure of the top-two primary will push candidates and the electorate towards extremes, and now is the appropriate time to point out that Washingtonians aren't as independent as they like to think.

Cathy Allen tells the Seattle P.I. that she expects the new top-two primary to have a moderating effect on the electorate. In fact, the effect will be exactly the opposite. In heavily Democratic Seattle, the top two candidates will both be Democrats, and the turnout will be younger and more strongly attached to liberal ideals. The presidential race will push moderate liberals towards the wings, as people toe closer to the party lines.