YAKIMA: Some primaries featured only two candidates, meaning both would run in the general election regardless of the outcome of the primary.

Action News spoke with two candidates for Yakima County Commissioner, Kyle Curtis and Susan Soto Palmer, about how much weight they are placing on the primary election under these circumstances.

“I would say that all the candidates who made it through the primaries will look at their results as a kind of pulse reading of where they stand in the district,” Curtis said.

“This is my third run for office and every election is important to me,” Palmer said.

The primaries can serve as an opportunity for candidates to determine their position in the race.

“I’m going to look very closely at the data to see where we can find votes, where we can really look at every precinct and just make sure voters get as many votes as possible,” Palmer said.

However, voter turnout is usually higher in general elections, and this year it is expected to be higher than in other years because this is the year of a presidential election.

“We all know it’s really hard to assess a constituency with only 20 percent turnout, it’s really difficult,” Curtis said.

Candidates can use this data to change their strategy and get as many votes as possible. While candidates have mentioned that they can see a lot of data, they cannot choose a name.