Voter registration cutoffs near

Deadlines are approaching for voters who either need to register or change their voter records in order to be eligible for next month’s primary election.

July 19 is the last day for mail-in and online voter registrations and transfers for the Aug. 19 primary.

And new Washington voters have until Aug. 4 to register in-person at King County’s elections office.

Sherril Huff, the elections director, said the main reason some voters won’t receive their absentee ballot early next month is because they’ve moved and haven’t updated their addresses.

At www.kingcounty.gov/elections, voters can get up to date by filling out a registration form and mail it to the elections department. The forms are in eight languages – English, Spanish, Chinese, Cambodian, Korean, Laotian, Russian and Vietnamese.

In-person registration can be done at one the county’s sesven community service centers, including the one in Covington, the elections department headquarters in Renton or at any state drivers license facility or other state government office. Additional information is available from the department’s hotline at (206) 296-8683.

Voter interest in this fall’s election is heavy, according to Huff.

“Over the past six months, King County has processed nearly 237,900 new and updated voter registrations – 42 percent more than this time in 2004,” Huff said. “Judging by the incredible interest, we’re expecting a record-setting turnout this year.”