When voters in Washington County opened their ballots this fall, the Zone 3 race for a seat on the Tualatin Soil and Water Conservation District board had no candidates listed at all. By the time preliminary results came in, 18,755 write-in votes had been cast for that empty line, and county officials say they have no plans to say who, or what, people actually wrote down.
An Empty Ballot Line Draws a Flood of Write-Ins
The Zone 3 contest covers Forest Grove and portions of Gales Creek, Glenwood, Manning and Buxton, and voters across the entire district were eligible to cast a ballot in that race, according to OregonLive. The Tualatin Soil and Water Conservation District oversees conservation efforts across Washington County and is governed by a seven-seat board whose directors serve four-year terms, per the same report. With no listed candidates for the seat, the ballot’s write-in line became the only outlet for voters — and nearly 19,000 of them apparently used it.
The seat carries more than a ceremonial role: the volunteer board sets district policy, adopts its budget and helps steer conservation priorities. The district provides support for rural land and farms, urban conservation projects, woodland health and habitat restoration, and offers grants for local conservation work. The board’s governing responsibilities therefore shape programs that reach landowners and communities across Washington County.
Washington County elections officials have declined to release individual write-in names for the Zone 3 race. The county’s elections office said it would not release an individual tally because no one had formally declared intent to pursue the candidacy, a position confirmed to OregonLive by Washington County spokesperson Philip Bransford.
Why the Cats Can’t Win
On Reddit, commenters told OregonLive they used the write-in line for all sorts of names — their own, siblings, roommates, and pets. At least two commenters said they wrote in their cats’ names, and one commenter said they voted for a sister-in-law who happens to work at the Washington County elections office. Paul Manson, who directs the Elections & Voting Information Center, told the outlet that this kind of joke write-in often functions as a protest vote or a way of rejecting the options presented to voters…