Hunt to appear on ballot after receiving write-in votes

John Hunt will appear on the General Election ballot as the opponent in the Adams County Commissioner District No. 1 position after receiving 5.47 percent of votes from write-in nominations during the Primary Election.

Previously running unopposed for the position, incumbent John Marshall will now be challenged for the four-year term.

The Adams County Canvassing Board tabulated the Primary Election votes and certified the election on Aug. 16. The certification led to the confirmed nomination of Hunt to move to the General Election ballot.

As an undeclared write-in candidate, Hunt did not file for candidacy in the Primary Election. Instead, he received 24 write-in votes, moving him onto the General Election ballot.

To determine when to tally write-in votes, the Canvassing Board must add the number of write-ins to determine the total of potential write-in votes for the race. For single candidate races during the Primary, a write-in candidate who receives at least one percent of the total votes for the office must be tabulated.

An individual can file a declaration to be a write-in candidate, but their name does not appear on the Primary Election ballot, Adams County Auditor Heidi Hunt explained. Auditor Hunt stated the Auditor’s Office did not receive any prior notification about the write-in candidacy, as the candidate did not file.

Declared write-in candidates typically miss the May registration deadline, Auditor Hunt said, and file at a later date to officially register their intent to run in the election. Since they do not make the initial candidate filing period, their names are not listed on the Primary ballot, Auditor Hunt continued.

In the past, Adams County has had multiple successful write-in candidacy elections, Auditor Hunt explained, though none in recent history for a county position. Typically, write-in candidates have been successful in the local city races, she stated.

Hunt received more than the one percent required to be a candidate in the General Election.

According to the Washington law regarding write-in votes, Hunt does not have the ability to remove his name from the ballot because he received more than one percent of votes.

Hunt will appear on the General Election ballot under the name listed on his voter registration card. As an undeclared write-in candidate, Hunt will have “states no party preference” printed on the General Election ballot, Auditor Hunt explained.

As the former sheriff for Adams County, and the husband of the current Auditor, Hunt is familiar with the filing period and laws surrounding elections. After much deliberation, Hunt announced he will serve in the commissioner role if elected, but he expressed his disappointment in the way he was nominated for the position.

Hunt explained the voters who cast a ballot in his favor did not approach him about the opportunity prior to the election. He stated he would have preferred to be a declared write-in candidate and show his interest in the position versus being nominated by a group of residents.

Hunt said he understands the voters’ desire to have a choice during an election, instead of only having an unopposed candidate on the ballot. He added he still does not believe the undeclared write-in candidacy is the correct way for that competition to occur.

After retiring last year, Hunt did not have any interest in running for the county commissioner position. He said after the nomination and knowing his name will appear on the General Election ballot, he decided he would accept the role if the voters chose him for the position.

Hunt explained he would not be personally campaigning for the position. The law does not allow him to remove his name from the ballot, and Hunt said if he had the option originally, he would have declined the nomination.

The announcement of an opposing candidate came as a shock for Marshall, since he was the only declared candidate. Marshall has spent the past four years serving as the commissioner for the local district, and is focused on continuing his term into the next four-year term.

Marshall expressed disappointment in the law, with a candidate only having to receive one percent of votes to become a candidate. With consistent low voting turnout in Adams County, the one percent margin means a write-in candidate only needed nine votes to qualify as a candidate during the Primary Election in the district.

For Marshall, he stated the preferred method for having a contested race is filing for the election, either as a filed candidate or a declared write-in candidate.

The unexpected opposition for the position has not changed Marshall’s reasoning for running for the commissioner position.

As newest elected to the board of three, Marshall is focused on continuing to learn his role and work to strengthen the economic viability of Adams County.

The General Election is set for Nov. 8.