‘Chaos’ creators and early deciders undermine Washington state presidential primary

Every responsible Washington resident who goes to the effort of voting wants it to count for something, whether they’re participating in the March 10 presidential primary, the statewide election runoff in August or the grand finale in November.

The revised calendar for this year’s presidential primary should make Washingtonians feel better about their voting clout. The election is 2 ½ months earlier than before and replaces the anachronistic caucus system for allocating delegates. Excitement is building as the suddenly nip-and-tuck Democratic race between Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders now runs directly through Washington.

There’s just one problem: Thousands of meaningless ballots cast by voters from both political parties.

For Republicans, voting may feel like a pointless exercise because President Trump is unopposed and already assured his party’s nomination. Some Trump stalwarts, in a desperate act of trying to feel useful, may opt to temporarily claim Democratic status and vote for the candidate they believe will boost the president’s reelection chances.

There was a name for this in last weekend’s South Carolina election: “Operation Chaos.” It’s a cynical attempt to manipulate an open primary, one we trust most conservatives in our state will reject.

Meanwhile, thousands of Democrats who chose too early from their party’s vast menu of presidential candidates must now swallow the reality of a wasted vote.

As of Super Tuesday, nearly 1 million Washington voters, including nearly 100,000 in Pierce County, had already marked and returned ballots. That includes more than 50,000 local folks who voted for a Democrat, many of whom didn’t hang on long enough to see the candidate field steadily shrink after ballots were mailed Feb. 21.

In just the last week, the field was rocked by seismic shifts, as Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar and Tom Steyer all bowed out before Super Tuesday, Mike Bloomberg quit the day after, and Elizabeth Warren ended her campaign Thursday.

Such is the tradeoff that came with Washington’s switch to an all-mail voting system nearly a decade ago. Convenience now takes primacy over patience, and strategic voting is forfeited by those who cast ballots early, in some cases more than two weeks before Election Day.

The early bird may get the worm, but not the satisfaction of making the best-informed choice in an election with so much at stake.

Today we suspect there are many moderate-leaning Buttigieg and Klobuchar voters who wish they could have a do-over, perhaps throwing support to Biden. Same goes for the Bloomberg believers, including Tacoma’s mayor and three City Council members, who opened a Tacoma office less than four weeks ago. Now Warren’s early deciders have been left in the lurch, too.

Another reason for Washingtonians to save their votes? So they can evaluate candidates’ responsiveness to late-breaking, fast-moving news events — for example, the national coronavirus outbreak, taking its heaviest toll in our state.

Waiting until Election Day may keep you from uncluttering your kitchen counter. But it’s how smart Democrats maximize their power and responsibility as citizens.

And what about Republicans wanting to make the most of their votes? Many will pick Trump out of loyalty or by default. Some may cross over because they sincerely prefer a Democratic alternative. To them we say: Let your conscience be your guide.

Still others may decide to go the “Operation Chaos” route. A recent TNT letter to the editor writer from Puyallup explained his reasoning this way: “Vote for Bernie Sanders. He will be the best use of your conservative vote in Washington not seen in decades.”

Really? How did this scheme work for “Chaos” operatives in South Carolina? Not well. Biden ran away with that primary, then rolled to 10 more victories on Super Tuesday.

Our advice to Washington Democrats and Republicans who still have a ballot to cast: Take full advantage of the time left before Super Tuesday Part II, and take the high road that ultimately leads to Nov. 3.