Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, one of two Republican members of Washington's congressional delegation who voted to impeach Donald Trump, has conceded her primary after being overtaken in late vote tallies by a GOP challenger endorsed by the former president.
Under Washington’s primary system, the top two vote getters in each race Aug. 2 advance to the November election, regardless of party. Washington is a vote by mail state, and voters don’t have to declare a party affiliation.
Because Washington is a vote-by-mail state and ballots just need to be in by Election Day, it often takes days to learn final results in close races as ballots arrive at county election offices throughout the week. Kimsey, the county’s elections official, noted that signature verification is a crucial part of the process that ensures the security and integrity of the state’s vote-by-mail system.