Low number of voters turn in ballots for the Aug. 1 primary and special election

The Aug. 1 primary and special election produced a very small turnout of voters and also provided a negative result for Clark County Fire District 3’s request for a levy lid lift.

There were 91,067 registered voters in Clark County eligible to vote in the Aug. 1 primary election. Of those, 13,525 ballots were counted Tuesday, which puts the turnout 14.85 percent at this point. Another 4,500 ballots remain to be counted. The election is scheduled to be certified on Aug. 15.

Clark County Fire District 3

Fire District 3’s Proposition 4 appears to be headed to failure as 3,009 voters (53.09 percent) rejected the proposition and 2,659 (46.91 percent) voted to approve. 

The purpose of the lid lift was designed to improve the safety of the community and its firefighters. In 2022, Fire District 3 responded to 4,917 calls – of which 73 percent were for emergency medical service (EMS). The population has grown 26 percent in the last 10 years and this growth is driving higher call volumes.

The levy lid lift would have helped to hire additional personnel to respond to higher call volumes and meet industry best practices, according to district administrators. The fire district would have been able to fund three-person engine companies. The current staffing model of two-person engine companies prevents firefighters from entering buildings to begin rescue operations unless another engine company is on scene. This can delay response times.

“I want to thank everyone who participated in the August 1 primary election,’’ Fire District 3 Chief Scott Sorenson said in a statement Wednesday. “We are disappointed with the results, but we respect the decision of the voters. We will continue to provide the highest level of service within the budget. The next step is for staff to meet with the Board of Fire Commissioners to discuss how we plan to move forward. We welcome your participation in these discussions and will continue to report back to you.’’

Battle Ground City Council

Three positions on the Battle Ground City Council were on the Aug. 1 primary election ballot. Two candidates for each position will advance to the November general election:

• In the Position 2 race, long-time Council Member Shane Bowman received 1,155 votes (56.18 percent) and Josh VanGelder received 797 votes (38.76 percent) to easily outdistance C.R. Wiley, who received 92 votes (4.47 percent). 
• In the race for Position 3, Virginia Ferrer received 1,217 votes (59.39 percent) and Daniel Dingman received 761 votes (37.14 percent) to advance to the November general election. Craig Wiggington received 68 votes (3.32 percent).
• In the Position 7 race, Eric Joe Overholser received 1,086 votes (52.77 percent), Josie Calderon received 897 votes (43.59 percent) and Max Booth received 68 votes (3.3 percent). Overholser and Calderon will advance to the November General Election.

Woodland mayoral race

The effort of Woodland Mayor Will Finn appears to be receiving a challenge. Finn, also a veteran of the Washington State Patrol, was outdistanced by challenger Todd Dinehart. The combined votes in Clark and Cowlitz counties show that Dinehart received 537 votes, Finn had 312 votes and Janna Lovejoy received 135 votes. Dinehart and Finn will advance to the November general election.