Auditor offers alternatives for candidate filings

COLFAX – With the “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order from Governor Inslee extended until the end of May, Whitman County Auditor Sandy Jamison said the Auditor's office will continue to accommodate those who need their assistance, but will be operating as they have been, closed to the public.

While the Auditor's office is only operating behind closed doors, this does not mean work has slowed or stopped. In preparation for this fall's elections, candidate filing has begun and work continues.

In Whitman County, offices that are open for election are County Commissioner District One and District Two, Superior Court Judge and Precinct Officers.

Jamison said for those who are submitting their forms through the mail, candidate filing has started. If interested in filing for candidacy online, filing begins at Monday, May 11, at 9 a.m.

“Before, people who were filing for candidacy were able to come in and submit their form as well as pay, but this year that won't be the case,” Jamison said. “There is a form on the Secretary of State website that can be downloaded and mailed in with a check to pay for the filing. If the position the person is running for is a paid position, the filing fee is one percent of the annual regular salary of that position.”

According to the Secretary of State website, to file online, one must be registered to vote in the district in which they are filing, pay with Visa, Mastercard or American Express, provide a valid email address and have all forms and payments submitted by Friday, May 15, at 4 p.m.

If filing by mail, a candidate filing form must be filled out, can only pay with either cash or check and a filing fee petition must be submitted and all forms need to be in by Friday, May 15, at 5 p.m.

Checks can be made out to Whitman County Auditor and mailed to Whitman County Elections PO Box 191 Colfax, WA, 99111.

Jamison said if anyone is interested in filing and needs assistance, they can always call and receive help over the phone, 509-397-6270.

The Primary Election on Aug. 4 and the General Election on Nov. 3 are still scheduled to occur these days.

“For the August Primary Election the process of procedures won't be the same as last year's election,” Jamison said. “I don't know the changes yet, but there will be changes.”

For those interested in registering to vote for this year's election, in-person registration is currently suspended, but online and mail-in registration is still available.

To register online, visit votewa.gov. A valid Washington drivers license is required.

“There are some that don't have a drivers license, they can still register to vote, but it would have to be through mail, only if they have a different form of ID,” Jamison said. “Most of the time the other form of ID is a social security number .”

Jamison said they would need to call the Election's office and a form would be mailed to them to be filled out and sent back. She said this form would require just the last for digits of their social security number. Once the form is mailed back and received it will be inputted into the system.

For other services offered by the Auditor's office, Jamison added that these services are still being offered, just different than before.

“We are still issuing titles and paperwork by mail,” Jamison said. “If anyone has any questions regarding a title, they can always email or call.”

She added that for vehicle licensing, if anyone is interested in walk-in service the Pullman Vehicle Vessel Licensing office and Smith's Country Store in Rosalia are open for walk-in service.

Tab renewals can be mailed in and new tabs will be mailed back out. Jamison did note that if someone is interested in mailing in a renewal, be sure to mail in enough time for the renewal to go through the mail and processed, before the expiration date.

Another service that can't be done in-person by the Auditor's office is marriage licenses. Jamison said the closest walk-in location for marriage licenses is in Dayton.

“There are still different means to get this done, there are still options,” Jamison said. “They can apply by mail for a marriage license, it will take a little longer, they can call or email for this form. They will need to find a notary and have the form mailed back. Finding a notary during this time might be difficult.”

Jamison said the Auditor's office is consistently checking voicemails and emails and responding as timely as they can. She said all voicemails and emails will be responded to.

“I'm very concerned for the safety of our staff and the public we come in contact with,” Jamison said. “We will be revisiting how we handle the public as time goes on. We have to follow the law.”