By Kathryn Hobbie
Board Member, League of Women Voters of Clark County
The big national elections are the ones that really matter…right? Many Americans feel that way. But the fact is, an off-year primary or special election may have an even bigger impact on your day-to-day life – and your vote can have a bigger impact on the outcome.
Take two examples: In April, Camas-Washougal voters narrowly rejected a proposition to create a regional fire authority that would have added manpower to fire engine crews, among other things. And Battle Ground voters rejected a school district levy for the second time, necessitating $20 million in teacher and program cuts.
Both those proposals could be argued pro and con, but the notable point is how close the elections were. The Camas-Washougal outcome hinged on 300 votes. Just 60 votes determined the first Battle Ground school decision.
If you’re a voter concerned about issues such as fire protection and school quality, your vote could tip the balance.
We have a primary and special election coming up Aug. 5. If this one is anything like such elections in the past, turnout will be low: Just 36 percent of registered voters took part in the April special election. August has the added challenge of being prime vacation season.
If you’re planning not to bother with this election, please reconsider. On the primary ballot are three candidates for the Vancouver City Council (the only race with more than two candidates), and this is your chance to decide who will run in November to represent you.
Also on the ballot is a “levy lid lift” supporting Fort Vancouver Regional Library. The lift would restore the library system’s levy rate to 50 cents per $1,000 of assessed value. Many don’t realize that property taxes provide 96 percent of FVRL’s funding, and the levy hasn’t been adjusted in 15 years. If you support the public library’s role in providing access to books, education programs, technology, and more, your voice needs to be heard in this election.
“But I don’t know enough about the issues” is a common excuse for not voting. It’s a genuine concern today. In times past, keeping up with the issues and candidates was pretty straightforward: Everyone read the local paper. We’re lucky to have an independent newspaper in our community, but a third of the nation’s newspapers have now closed, and public broadcasting is threatened. Where can you go for unbiased election information?
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Start with the Voters Guide at https://clark.wa.gov/elections/august-5-2025-primary-special-election.
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Read The Columbian for candidate interviews, background on the issues, and reader perspectives. (If you don’t subscribe, please consider doing so!)
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Don’t rely on a single online source of information. Read widely, and be cognizant of where the information is coming from. Is the source legitimate and unbiased?
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Attend candidate forums. These are a cornerstone of our work at the League of Women Voters, an opportunity to assess the candidates in person and have your questions answered. (You can view the June 26 city council candidate forum at https://www.cvtv.org/vid_link/38329.)
We hope we’ve convinced you that your vote matters in EVERY election. Of course, that includes the big ones for president and Congress, but it also includes the smaller elections like the one coming up. Drop your ballot in the mail or a drop box by 8 p.m. Aug. 5. In a close election, yours could be the deciding vote!