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Spokane County commissioners approve splitting two precincts to meet state voter limits
Summary
The county unanimously approved a staff recommendation to split two overcrowded voting precincts — including precinct 7301 in Deer Park and a precinct near Spokane Airport — to comply with Washington’s 1,500-registered-voter maximum; changes must be finalized before candidate filing opens on April 27.
Spokane County commissioners on March 3 unanimously approved a staff proposal to split two voting precincts that have grown close to or above the state statutory limit of 1,500 registered voters.
The board voted to accept staff’s recommendation to divide precinct 7301, which covers parts of Deer Park, and a precinct south of Spokane International Airport (staff said precinct 616 would be split and a new precinct 665 created). The changes, staff said, are required to be in place at least one week before candidate filing opens on April 27.
Ryan, a county staff member who presented the plan, told the board the county reviewed precincts approaching the 1,500-voter cap and identified one precinct already over 1,500 and another over 1,300. "State law sets the number of registered voters in a precinct at 1,500 maximum," Ryan said, explaining the timetable and the need to finalize lines before filing begins.
The public hearing on the boundary adjustments drew no commenters in the room or online. After the presentation and the hearing closure, a commissioner moved to approve item 7A "as presented by staff," a second was recorded and the motion passed by voice vote.
Why it matters: precinct boundaries affect where residents vote and how elections are administered; finalizing the lines before the candidate filing window is a statutory requirement that allows the county to proceed with candidate lists and election preparations.
What’s next: The approved adjustments will be implemented in time for candidate filing and upcoming election administration; staff did not provide detailed maps in the hearing transcript but indicated slides showing the affected parcels and the proposed splits were shown to the board.
