New primary date worth the hassle

Washington's primary election moves to late August this year, a necessity for harried election workers who need more than the traditional seven-week interval between the primary and general to produce reliable elections.

Already, some challengers are bellyaching that the new date is too much the incumbent's best friend. All sides have to adjust to the new system. Remember, the primary date was changed in 2006, not the 2007 legislative session, so newcomers have known a while about the need to move quicker.

Two finalists still advance to the general election, leaving voters more time to compare the narrower field.

Some election officials believe the 11 weeks between the new primary and general, instead of seven weeks, levels the playing field for challengers, who gain a chance to recover and regroup after a bitter primary battle.

The case has to be made that change is necessary for any political office. This editorial page has made that case for the Seattle School Board. Voters will make a switch if good challengers emerge.

Incumbents in Seattle and elsewhere moved quickly to announce re-election bids and began building impressive war chests to deflect challenges. Incumbents always do that, whether the primary is in August or September. In the event of a burning issue such as Strippergate in 2003, voters sometimes look past war chests.

Much of the fussing boils down to discomfort with change and how best to work with new calendars and new political calculations.

The new primary date means all candidates have to be on their toes earlier. The filing date moves from late July to early June, meaning a challenger has to select an opponent and stick with the choice.

Seattle City Council has an open seat this year; expect top challengers to jump into that race — no different than any other year.

August may be sleepier at the polls because voters might not be aware of the date change. Next year, however, King County joins other Washington counties in switching to all-mail voting. Mail voting tends to boost voter participation.

Yes, August will take some getting used to, but election officials will have time to produce a more-reliable election. That makes the new burden on politicians, incumbents and challengers alike, worth the hassle.