Primary election ballots will go out this week, and can be mailed in or dropped off at several locations including this box in front of Twisp Town Hall.
The 18-day mail-in voting period begins on Oct. 15 for the November general election in Washington.
Online and mail-in registrations and voter updates must be received by the Okanogan County Auditor’s office by Oct. 25.
In-person voter registration is due by Nov. 2. Ballots must be postmarked or turned in to a drop box by 8 p.m. on election day, Nov. 2.
Ballot drop boxes are located in the Methow Valley at Twisp City Hall, 110 E. Second Street in Twisp, and at the Winthrop Barn, 51 Highway 20 in Winthrop.
Methow Valley races
Twisp Town Council
• Incumbent Hannah Cordes in council position No. 1 did not file for reelection. Katrina Auburn will run unopposed for the four-year position.
• In position 2, incumbent Aaron Studen will be challenged by Dara Perez for the regular four-year term.
Winthrop Town Council
• Incumbents Kristen Vanderhalf and Joseph O’Driscoll, in positions 1 and 2, each filed for reelection and are running unopposed.
• Mayor Sally Ranzau also filed for reelection. No other candidates filed to run against Ranzau during the official filing period earlier this year and hers will be the only name on the ballot, but Winthrop resident Seth Miles has recently launched a write-in campaign.
Okanogan County Prosecuting Attorney
• 1 year (unexpired term). Incumbent Melanie Bailey, appointed in January 2021 to fill an unexpired term vacated by Arian Noma, filed for reelection for the remainder of the term. No other candidates filed for the position.
Okanogan County Cemetery District 1
• Incumbent Teresa Mathis, of Winthrop, representing commissioner position 3, filed for reelection for a six-year term.
• Incumbent commissioner for position 2 Jennifer Northcott did not file for reelection. Timothy Anderson of Winthrop was the only candidate to file for the four remaining years in the unexpired term.
Okanogan County Cemetery District 2
• One of the Methow’s few contested races is in a cemetery district. Incumbent Carol J. Gaston, of Twisp, will be challenged by Larry Smith, also of Twisp, for the regular six-year term.
Okanogan-Douglas Hospital District 1 (Three Rivers Hospital)
• Incumbents for positions 1 and 2, David Garcia, of Brewster, and Leslie McNamara, also of Brewster, filed to retain their positions and will not be challenged. Garcia is filing to complete the final two years of the term, and McNamara to complete a regular six-year term.
Okanogan County Fire District 6
• Incumbent Les V. Stokes, of commissioner position 1, did not file for reelection. Miles Milliken, of Twisp, will run unopposed for the six-year term.
Methow Valley School District
• Incumbent Dana Stromberger filed for reelection for district 2, a four-year term, and will run unopposed.
• For district 4, incumbent Gary L. Marchbank, of Winthrop, will be challenged by Michelle Randolph, of Mazama, for the four-year position.
