Everything You Need to Know About the August 4th Primary Election

Hi everyone! We're in election season again, with the Washington State Primary right around the corner on Tuesday, August 4th. Your official Spokane County Voter Guide should have already landed in your mailbox, and your ballot began arriving between July 15th and 17th. If it hasn't shown up yet, don't worry! I'm sure it's on its way.

This is your opportunity to voice who represents you across the County, State, and in D.C., plus this election we have several local measures that directly affect our community. Here's some steps to confirm you are ready!

Confirm Your Voter Registration

Whether you're a longtime Spokane County resident, recently moved, or turning 18 before August 4th, it's worth double-checking that your registration is current. You can check your status, register for the first time, or update your address or name online:

👉 VoteWA.gov: https://voter.votewa.gov/

Key Dates & Deadlines

Mark these on your calendar:

• July 27: Deadline to register online or by mail (or update an existing registration) for the Primary
• August 4: Election Day! You can still register in person and vote through 8:00 pm at the Spokane County Elections Office or a Voter Service Center
• August 4, 8:00 pm: Deadline to return your ballot, either postmarked by mail or dropped in an official ballot drop box

Returning Your Ballot

USPS continues to have postmarking delays and as such, it is strongly recommend to return your ballot via an official ballot drop box instead.

Our local ballot drop box is located at the Cheney Library, 610 1st Street. Drop your ballot off through 8:00 pm on Election Day, Tuesday, August 4th.

Full list of Spokane County Drop Box Locations:
https://www.spokanecounty.gov/187/Ballot-Drop-Box-Locations

What's On Your Ballot?

This is a non-local candidate election year. Candidates on your ballot include: Congressional Representative, State Legislature, Washington State Supreme Court, and Spokane County offices for Assessor, Auditor, Clerk, Prosecutor, Sheriff, and Treasurer.

Additionally, Cheney voters have four local ballot measures to decide this primary:

• City of Cheney, Proposition No. 1: Renews the existing city's Residential Street Utility Tax and increases it from the current 4% to 6% (for a Combined Utility Tax of 16.75% total), for another 14 years. Funds are dedicated solely to maintaining and repairing Cheney's residential streets and sidewalks.

• West Plains Aquifer Protection Area, Measure No. 1: Would create a new aquifer protection area covering Cheney, Airway Heights, Medical Lake, and nearby unincorporated areas, funding groundwater monitoring, testing, and infrastructure. If approved, it would cost single-family homes $15/year for water use and an additional $15/year for properties on septic systems.
  https://www.spokanecounty.gov/6015/West-Plains-APA
  
• Spokane Transit Authority, Proposition No. 1: Cheney sits within STA's Public Transportation Benefit Area. This measure asks voters to renew (and extend through 2048) the existing 0.2% sales tax that funds bus and transit service across the region. This tax, first approved in 2016, has helped fund the West Plains Transit Center and expanded routes connecting Cheney to Spokane and the broader region; service our community has come to rely on.
  https://www.spokanetransit.com/sta-proposition-1/
  
• Spokane County Library District, Proposition No. 1: Since the Cheney Library is part of the Spokane County Library District, Cheney voters will decide whether to restore the district's property tax levy rate from $0.33 to $0.45 per $1,000 of assessed value, funding operations, maintenance, and services at all 10 SCLD locations, including ours.
  https://www.scld.org/about/library-levy-proposition-1-on-the-august-2026-ballot/

Because ballots are precinct-specific, your personalized guide will confirm exactly which races and measures apply to you.

View your personalized Online Voters' Guide: https://voter.votewa.gov/GenericVoterGuide.aspx?e=898&c=32#/

Your Vote, Your Voice

Primaries often have lower turnout than general elections, which means your ballot carries extra weight this round. Please take a few minutes to read through your Voter Guide, look up the candidates, and research the local measures so you can make intentional and informed choices on your ballot.

Every ballot returned is a voice heard. Thank you for being civically engaged and for voting!