Washington’s presidential primary had a record turnout of voters.
According to votes certified by Secretary of State Kim Wyman on Friday, voter turnout for the March 10th election was 49.5 percent, besting the previous record of 42.6 percent in 2000. That year saw 1.3 million votes cast, while the 2020 presidential primary had more than 2.25 million ballots counted.
The Washington presidential primary drew criticism from many due to the requirement for voters to declare a party affiliation in order for their vote to be counted.
Since 2015, Wyman has urged lawmakers to provide an option for voters to not affiliate with a political party in order to participate. The option was given to voters during the 1996 and 2000 presidential primaries, but was removed by the Legislature in 2007.
Wyman plans to again pursue legislation to reinstate an “unaffiliated” option next year. (Washington Secretary of State’s Office)
