SPOKANE, Wash. – With just two days remaining until election night, Spokane County is seeing a significant turnout as 50.6% of ballots have been returned as of Friday. Candidates and voters alike are preparing for the final push.
Terry Maurer, a local voter, expressed his feelings about the political climate. “I decided quite a while ago how I was going to vote in the national elections,” he said. However, Maurer is not pleased with the current political discourse. “There’s so much divisive non-conversation in the country now that there’s no convincing anybody who doesn’t think what you think that they should think what you think,” he added.
Political science professor Sarah E. James shared similar sentiments, describing the atmosphere as “intense.” While national contests like the presidential race draw much attention, James emphasized the importance of local races.
James noted that the focus on national races often overshadows local issues. Her concerns extend to the strength of democratic institutions, especially after the unrest following the 2020 presidential election. “I think that what we’re experiencing right now is a lot more pushing back on the norms and a lot more in-the-open explicit violence and that doesn’t feel great as someone who cares deeply about these institutions being preserved that feels concerning,” James said.
According to the American Psychological Association’s latest “Stress in America” survey, 77% of adults consider the future of the country a “significant source of stress in their lives.”
James highlighted the uncertainty of the upcoming election results, but stressed a fundamental aspect of democracy: “Part of being in a democracy is losing, right? That is actually what distinguishes us from other forms of the government is that we ideally accept loss when it happens with the trust and the hope that a fair process will give us another chance of winning again in the future.”
As election night approaches, James reminded voters that the results, whether local or national, mark just the beginning. Maurer echoed the anticipation many feel, saying, “I think I’m with a lot of people when I say I can’t wait for this to be over.”
Voters still have time to submit their ballots before election night. Ballots can be dropped off until 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday.
