Voter turnout climbs in Tri-Cities races that could reshape councils and school boards

Cory McCoy
·3 min read

There’s just a week left to return ballots in the Nov. 7 election and daily tallies show that Tri-Cities area voters are turning out in higher numbers compared to similar elections thanks to some particularly impactful races.

Benton County voters have returned nearly 2,500 more ballots through Monday than during the same time period in the 2019 election.

So far more than 13,600 have voted in elections that could swing the balance of power on nearly every school board and city council with more seats than normal up for election due to redistricting and a school board recall. So far, turnout is a full percent higher than four years ago.

In Franklin County, more than 3,600 ballots have been cast, or about 500 more than the same time period in 2019. That’s about a tenth of a percent lower because of the growth in the number of voters.

There are about 126,400 voters in Benton County this year, compared to 115,000 four years ago. In Franklin County there are now just under 44,000 compared to 37,100 in 2019.

Ballots are due by election day, Tuesday, Nov. 7, but you can still register to vote in person at the election office of your county assessor’s office until the polls close at 8 p.m.

Contested local races

Both counties are looking at strong turnouts because of so many competitive races. You can read full coverage for some of the most competitive races online at Tri-CityHerald.com, as well as watch videos of Tri-City Herald Editorial Board interviews and read the board’s recommendations.

In Richland, voters will have to decide what direction their school board takes after three members were recalled in August, and if their city council is going to live in a wider swath of Richland neighborhoods than it currently does. They also have a Port of Benton race in which voters will have to decide whether to keep a respected incumbent commissioner or replace her with the port’s longtime former director.

In Kennewick, voters will be choosing between keeping a moderating incumbent on the city council and on the conservative makeup of the school board and expected financial struggles following initial troubles getting voters to approve its operating tax levy.

Pasco voters are deciding which future council members are best suited to help steward expected massive growth over the next decade, with a high priority on preventing infrastructure woes. Their school board has three races with incumbents working hard to show their experience is worth keeping.

The competitive races don’t end with just the large cities though. Across Benton and Franklin counties, smaller cities like Connell, West Richland, Benton City and Prosser all have races with big decisions for voters to make.

There’s also a public safety sales tax renewal on the ballot in Benton County. The lack of a sunset clause has some voters hesitant to renew the funding, which is needed to pay for 55 law enforcement officers in Benton County and its cities.

There are several fire and hospital district levies in rural portions of the counties.

Read the Herald’s full election coverage online at Tri-CityHerald.com and check back throughout the evening on election night for live updates as results come in after 8 p.m.