At the county Auditor’s Office, Elections Supervisor Michele Reagan is seeing a slow trickle of ballots that is all too familiar.

With just days until the August primary, only a small percentage of Island County’s roughly 52,000 registered voters have submitted ballots.

Just over 9,000 ballots to be specific, according to Reagan.

“It’s not unusual to have a small turnout for the primary, and Island County actually has a very high turnout rate for the November elections — about 85 percent usually,” said Reagan, who has worked at the elections office for 12 years.

“But we should see a lot more coming in soon, hopefully before the deadline.”

Voters on Whidbey and Camano Island will have until Aug. 2 to postmark their ballots, with some able to weigh in on the locally-significant 10th District state senate race and whether or not the Port of South Whidbey should take over ownership of the Island County Fairgrounds.

State Senator for 10th Legislative District, which serves Island County, will also be impacted by Tuesday’s primary with three candidates up for the position. Sen. Barbara Bailey, R-Oak Harbor, is running for re-election alongside challengers Angie Homola and Nick Petrish, both Democrats.

Homola, a former Island County Commissioner, said she plans to serve the interests of the people by closing tax loopholes, promoting jobs with equitable wages, and providing public services if elected.

Homola said she would also work to “meet our state’s mandate and moral obligation to fund public education” and improve affordable and low-income housing, mental health services and senior assisted care.

“I believe my job as an elected official is to inform the electorate so they can make knowledgeable decisions about their future,” she said.  “I’ll fight for policies that promote a good quality of life for today and tomorrow’s generations.”

Petrish said his priority would be upholding the Bill of Rights while addressing the great need for state-funded public education and veterans services, such as housing and retraining.

According to Petrish, he would also work to protect women’s reproductive rights, gun rights and union worker rights.

“I’m absolutely willing to hammer out a plan that’s going to work and not stall our efforts,” he said. “I’m all about getting things done while balancing what the people I represent want.”

Incumbent Bailey would continue to defer to citizens for their top needs and priorities if re-elected. Such issues would include increasing jobs and veteran services, funding public education and to continue improving state transportation.

Bailey said she would do so without increasing taxes and continuing to maintain a balanced state budget.

“Government should not be an entity that functions outside of the needs of the people,” Bailey said. “It’s a resource and I want to continue to be a resource through my experience and knowledge.”

The state senate race will be narrowed down to two candidates following Tuesday’s election.

And if the proposition by Port of South Whidbey is approved, the port will assume transfer of the fairgrounds and increase its regular property levy tax from .133 cents to .183 cents per $1,000 of assessed property valuation for collection in 2017.

According to Reagan, Island County’s votes will be tallied once the last ballots are delivered to the elections office.