State readies ballots for Presidential Primary

Secretary of State Kim Wyman announced Friday that ballots have been finalized for the state's upcoming Presidential Primary, slated for May 24.

A press release announcing the candidates for the ballot stated, by state law, those on the ballot include those who are “generally advocated or whose candidacy is generally recognized in the national news media.”

The ballot includes four Republican candidates and two Democratic candidates.

The Republican candidates are Donald Trump, who is currently leading the delegate count for the GOP nomination with 739 (1,237 are needed to secure the nomination); Ted Cruz, who stands at 465 delegates; John Kasich, 143 delegates, and Ben Carson, eight delegates. Forty-four GOP delegates will be selected proportionally based on the results of the primary in May.

Carson formally suspended his presidential campaign March 4, but he will still be on the ballot because he did not remove himself from the primary.

Marco Rubio signed a withdrawal Friday, but Carson did not respond to numerous contacts from the State Elections Division.

Democratic candidates are Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. Clinton has secured 1,681 delegates to lead Sanders, who has collected 937. A total of 2,383 delegates are needed for the Democratic nomination. There will be 101 delegates at stake for Sanders and Clinton this weekend in Washington, and those will be divided proportionally.

Wyman stressed the importance of this primary election.

“We urge Washington voters to take part in our Presidential Primary this year. This is the first time in eight years we've had a Presidential Primary and the first time there has been a wide-open race for the White House, with no incumbent running,” she said.

Sanders spent time campaigning in Seattle, Vancouver and Spokane March 19-20 ahead of the March 26 caucus. Monday, former President Bill Clinton arrived in Washington to campaign for his wife ahead of the Democratic caucuses with stops planned in Spokane and Vancouver, and daughter Chelsea Clinton campaigned for her mother Tuesday in Tacoma and Seattle.

Hillary Clinton campaigned Tuesday in Everett, Puyallup and Seattle.

April 25 will be the last day to register by mail or online to be able to vote in the Presidential Primary. April 25 is also the last day to update an address or name ahead of the primary. Anyone not currently registered as a voter in the state can register in person at the county elections office until May 16.

Republicans will use the results of the primary to allocate national convention delegates, and the Democrats will use the caucuses this weekend, along with subsequent conventions and caucuses, to allocate national convention delegates.

Primary ballots will be sent to military and overseas voters by April 9, and all other ballots will be sent the first week of May.