Today King County Elections certified the results of the 2012 primary election. Voters returned 443,523 ballots for a turnout of 40 percent. Final results will be posted on the department’s website this evening.

“We just certified our twelfth consecutive election without discrepancies,” said Sherril Huff, Director of Elections. “I’m also pleased to report that voters helped keep election costs down this election by remembering to sign the return envelope and responding promptly to our calls.  We have seen improvement in several key areas where voters can make a big difference in the cost of running elections and making sure more ballots can be opened and counted.”

The Elections Department saw a reduction in the number of challenged signatures of almost 45 percent this election. Extensive outreach efforts that featured local celebrities are credited with contributing to a reduction by half of the number of ballots returned without signatures.

In compliance with state requirements, King County tallied 11 races with write-in votes, a relatively high number of races to require this extra step.

The Elections Department is already preparing for the November general election and citizens should, too. Register to vote or update your voter registration information (name, address and signature) at the Elections web site. Citizens eligible to vote should register by Oct. 8 to vote in the general election. New voters have until Oct. 29 to register in person.