Rita Weisbrod, No Voter’s Pamphlets?

Where is my voter’s information pamphlet?

Like most of us, I received my primary ballot on Thursday, July 14.  I opened it to find a long list of candidates for national, state and local races.  “Who are these people?” I thought.  No voters information pamphlet came that day.  I went to Seattle on Friday and saw ballots and voters pamphlets on my friend’s coffee table.  “We didn’t get a pamphlet,” I said.  “Maybe it will come on Monday,” I said, but it did not. So I called the county elections office to find out how to get one.  I was told that San Juan County does not mail voters pamphlets for primary elections to save money. And no, there are no copies at the library or anywhere else. “We make it available online,” I was told.Seriously?

We are a county with double the state’s percentage of adults over 65, and where seniors are part of our high voter turn-out.  Seniors are often among those who lack a computer and/or lack computer skills, and many have vision limitations that make it difficult to read lengthy material online. In this primary, we have many important local decisions to make. This decision by the auditor to omit the voters pamphlet saves money at the cost of an informed electorate.  It also effectively disenfranchises many voters.  Looks like San Juan County has its own way of suppressing the vote! Saving money is a worthy goal, but not when it means valuing dollars over democracy. Good luck voting, everyone!