Voters across Cowlitz County and the rest of Southwest Washington are approaching key deadlines ahead of the state’s Feb. 10 special election. The ballot includes a mix of school district funding levies, emergency medical services renewals, and local port or cemetery district measures — though not every jurisdiction is participating this cycle.

According to election officials, voters who plan to mail their ballots should do so no later than Tuesday, Feb. 3, to ensure a timely postmark for counting. Ballots may also be deposited in official drop boxes, which remain open around the clock until 8 p.m. on Election Day, Feb. 10. A full map of authorized ballot drop locations is available from the Washington Secretary of State’s Office.

Voter registration updates can be completed online or by mail through Monday, Feb. 2. After that date, registrations and updates must be made in person at a county elections office.

Historically, February special elections draw lower turnout than statewide or general elections. Data from the Secretary of State indicates participation has hovered near 30% for recent off-year ballots, despite the direct impact of many of these measures on local education and emergency services.

Voters in the Longview, Kelso, and Castle Rock areas will find measures related to local school funding among those on the ballot. Additional detail about district-specific levy proposals and their potential impacts can be found through official election materials mailed with each ballot packet and through county election websites.

The deadline for all ballots, whether mailed or dropped off, is 8 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 10. Ballots postmarked after the deadline will not be counted.

(Original statewide reporting by OPB.)

Update: Initial Results

Initial vote counts released after the February 10 special election show both Cowlitz County school levies passing with strong support. The Longview School District’s Replacement Capital Projects, Security, and Technology Levy is currently leading by nearly 20 percentage points, with 4,494 votes in favor and 3,080 opposed.

In neighboring Kalama, the Educational Programs and Operations Levy is also passing, though by a narrower margin—1,082 yes votes to 932 no. Both measures are replacements for existing levies rather than new taxes.

According to the Cowlitz County Elections Office, voter turnout as of Tuesday stood at 25.64%, with additional ballots scheduled for counting by 5 p.m. later in the day.

Elsewhere in Southwest Washington, Wahkiakum County voters also approved their Replacement Education Programs and Operations Levy by a wide margin, with nearly 70% voting yes.

Official certification of results is expected within several days as counties complete ballot counting and verification.

Update: Revised Results (February 11)

Following the counting of additional ballots on Wednesday, February 11, both the Longview and Kalama school levies maintained their leads and are expected to pass. The Longview School District’s Replacement Capital Projects, Security, and Technology Levy now has 5,295 votes in favor and 3,555 opposed — continuing to show a roughly 20% margin.

The Kalama School District’s Educational Programs and Operations Levy remains narrower but still ahead, with 1,284 yes votes to 1,080 no. Overall voter turnout for the two races has increased to 29.99%, according to the updated tallies.

Final certification is scheduled for release once counties complete their ballot verification and counting processes.