It's Top Two Election Day 2024 in Washington State - don't forget to vote!

Readers, a reminder that today is the last day of the August 2024 Top Two Election, the elimination round of our problematic, two-part first-past-the-post general election system. Ballots must be postmarked or returned by a drop box by 8 PM tonight, or they won’t count. Be sure yours is in, and then remind friends and family to vote, too.

Chances are, many of them haven’t. Don’t assume – ask!

The purpose of the Top Two election, which the state misleadingly calls a primary, is to winnow fields of candidates with three or more contenders down to two.

Suppose a downballot contest like Insurance Commissioner attracts eight people who all want to serve — which is the case this year for that office. State law says that only two candidates can appear on the autumn general election ballot, so six candidates must be eliminated from consideration. That’s the function of the Top Two election.

https://www.nwprogressive.org/weblog/2024/08/its-top-two-election-day-2024-in-washington-state-dont-forget-to-vote.html