Nineteen Highlands Voters Stricken From the Rolls for Staying Home
A misunderstanding about closing time—and simple indifference—cost 19 registered voters their places on the precinct books in 1916.
Nineteen registered voters of this precinct failed to vote at the past election. Some failed to vote through apparent indifference, some were absent, and some reached the polling place too late to vote through a misunderstanding of the hour of closing the polls. All those who failed to vote at this time will have to re-register before voting; their names have been stricken from the registration books according to law.
“All those who failed to vote at this time will have to re-register before voting; their names have been stricken from the registration books according to law.”
In 1916, missing an election could cost a Highlands resident their registration outright. Modern Washington voters are not stricken for skipping a ballot, but list-maintenance fights over who stays on the rolls remain a live civic argument. The detail that some missed the polls because they misjudged closing time is a reminder that access is often administrative.
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