Voters can help make election run smoothly

Hard to believe but another election is just around the corner. One theme of this year's primary election has to be voter responsibility.

Voters should think about their own role in producing a smooth election. For the first time, it's voters' job to bring identification to polls to prove who they are. It's their duty to read all forms carefully and follow instructions to a "T."

Most problems in the 2004 governor's race have been fairly attributed to election officials. But the acts of voting and vote counting are a partnership between voters and election workers. Voters help by signing absentee ballots as instructed and being clear about exactly whom they are voting for.

If the ballot says fill in the bubble next to a candidate's name, fill in the bubble. Other artwork and doodling might result in a vote in a particular race being invalidated.

The biggest change will be a requirement to bring identification to the polls — a change implemented by the Legislature after last year's election debacle.

Voters help by arriving prepared with a driver's license, voter registration card, state ID card, utility bill or other acceptable identification.

Another change involves party preference. Many people have not paid attention to news stories that the top-two primary approved by voters was struck down by a federal judge. As a result, the primary will operate the same as last September: In partisan races, voters must state a party preference and vote only for candidates in that party. A crossover vote in any race will not be counted.

Many election changes have been implemented as a result of lessons learned in 2004. Provisional ballots, those given voters who may not appear in poll books or who are voting at the wrong site, will not be accepted by machines. They will spit them out and the provisional ballots will be tallied elsewhere after verification of voter registration.

King County will have a turnaround team in place monitoring the primary.

Election officials have much work to do to restore voter confidence. Voters, too, should do their part to assure the election operates more smoothly.