Election results inch closer to conclusion

Grays Harbor Auditor’s Office tabulated nearly 2,000 ballots on Thursday, Nov. 10.

By Allen Leister • November 10, 2022 8:00 pm
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Ballots continue to be counted across the country as county-level races and state-wide races remain uncalled. This machine allows the Grays Harbor Auditors Office to scan signatures and confirm if ballots are verified, invalid, or suspended in a more timely manner. (Allen Leister / The Daily World)
Ballots continue to be counted across the country as county-level races and state-wide races remain uncalled. This machine allows the Grays Harbor Auditors Office to scan signatures and confirm if ballots are verified, invalid, or suspended in a more timely manner. (Allen Leister / The Daily World)

Two days after Election Day, Grays Harbor County voters are inching closer to having some clarity regarding the results of some election races.

The Grays Harbor Auditor’s Office released an updated ballot count as of Thursday, Nov. 10 with the inclusion of 1,682 ballots to the total number of ballots counted, which now sits at 18,613.

While the updated counts don’t provide any significant changes in any of the contested county-level races, trends can be seen in all four.

Grays Harbor Assessor

While incumbent Democrat Dan Lindgren still holds a lead over Republican challenger Rick Hole, indications point to the race tightening, although very slightly. Lindgren, who is vying for his third term as assessor, currently has more than 45% of the vote compared to Hole who has less than 46%. Hole, who served as the Grays Harbor Assessor from 2011 through 2014 trails Lindgren by nearly 1,600 votes.

Grays Harbor Coroner

In the race for coroner, incumbent Democrat Bob Kegel trails nonpartisan challenger George J. Kelley with the trend appearing to show that the race is opening in favor of Kelley. Kegel, who has less than 41% of the vote, was the only incumbent candidate to lose in the August primary. Kelley, who has over 59% of the vote, currently leads Kegel by more than 3,000 votes.

Grays Harbor Sheriff

Darrin Wallace, the Chief Investigations Deputy for the Grays Harbor Sheriff’s Office continues to build his lead over Michael Catlett, the former Brier police chief, in the race for Sheriff. Wallace currently holds nearly 74% of the vote compared to Catlett who has more than 25% of the vote. While there are still votes to be counted, it seems highly unlikely that Catlett could surpass the nearly 8,000-vote deficit he has against Wallace.

Grays Harbor County Commissioner District 3

In the only race that isn’t tightening or opening, incumbent nonpartisan candidate Vickie Raines still has a lead over Republican challenger Lisa Zaborac for county commissioner. Raines, who is seeking her third term as commissioner, currently has less than 55% of the vote compared to Zaborac who is just shy of 45% of the vote. Zaborac is trailing Raines by nearly 1,800 votes.

Ballot Processing

As election officials continue to verify signatures, process ballots, and post updated vote totals through Nov. 28, Secretary of State Steve Hobbs encouraged voters to remain patient. He says that Washington’s 21-day certification window prioritizes accuracy to ensure that every valid ballot from the Nov. 8 General Election will be counted.

With more than 2.4 million ballots accepted by Wednesday evening, statewide turnout reached 51.4%, with additional ballots still being processed. More than 10,500 Washington residents registered as new voters on Election Day, under the same-day registration law that took effect in 2019.

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