The League of Women Voters of Skagit County dares to venture into the weeds of the democratic process while refusing to wallow in the mud that has stained American politics. Last week they hosted a public forum on the sometimes complex “ins and outs” of the 2024 Washington state presidential primary.

The hour-long hybrid event at the Skagit PUD Meeting Room in Mount Vernon, billed specifically as a non-campaign event, featured four guest speakers – Skagit County Elections Manager Gabrielle Clay, Skagit County Republican Party Chair Bill Bruch and Skagit County Democratic Party Chair and Vice-Chair Lynn Campbell and Nathaniel Block.

Washington’s March 12 presidential primary has voters choose their parties’ presidential nominees.

Clay stressed that the primary is unlike regular elections.

“The presidential primary,” said Clay, who has managed Skagit County elections for 13 years, “tells parties who you want them to nominate for the general election.

“We don’t know how you personally voted,” she assured the audience, “but we do know which are ‘R’ and which are ‘D’ ballots.”

Clay noted that voters will find on their ballots names of candidates who have withdrawn from the race due to firmly established procedural timelines.

Washington formerly used a caucus system for presidential nominee hopefuls.

The parties will use caucuses to choose convention delegates.

The panel fielded an array of questions from the 50-person audience.

Clay was asked how elections officials verify voter signatures with mail-in voting.

“We compare the signature on the election envelope with the signature on their driver’s license,” she said, considering as well how aging can change one’s handwriting.

The Feb. 12 event, which the Weekly News co-sponsored, was the first in a series of League of Women Voters public meetings scheduled this year. The next will be April 29 and focus on the media and news literacy.

“We’re committed to strengthening local news in the Skagit Valley,” Sanderson said, insisting that is in keeping with the league’s dual mission of promoting civic responsibility and encouraging the public to become informed on issues.