Auburn residents will know Aug. 18 which two of the four candidates on the ballot for Auburn mayor will advance to the Nov. 3 general election.

The all-mail contest pits two-term incumbent Mayor Pete Lewis against challengers Shelley Erickson, owner of Shelley’s Total Bodyworks Day Spa, councilmember and retired Boeing worker Virginia Haugen, and Frank Lonergan, a locksmith at White Knight Safe and Lock and a former member of the Snoqualmie City Council.

The top two vote-getters will move on to the general election.

In the interests of keeping Auburn residents informed, the Auburn Reporter recently submitted questionnaires to the candidates, and a brief summary of their answers can be seen below. The complete statements from each candidate may be viewed on our website at auburn-reporter.com.

The current annual salary for the mayor is $120,353.

Only Auburn residents may vote in the mayoral primary.

July 18 was the last day for mail in and online voter registrations and transfers for the primary. To register to vote in the state, a person must be: a citizen of the United States; a legal resident of Washington state; at least 18 years old by election day; and not presently denied their voting rights because of a felony conviction.

New Washington voters have until Aug. 10 to register to vote in person at the King County’s Elections office.

“Now that King County votes entirely by mail, it is more important than ever for voters to keep their addresses up-to-date with the Elections office,” said King County Elections Director Sherril Huff. “We want to make sure that each voter receives their ballot with plenty of time to enable them to cast an educated vote.”

Here are some important dates to remember:

July 29 – Voters’ pamphlets mailed

July 30 – Ballots mailed to all voters in King County

Aug. 10 – Deadline for new Washington residents to register to vote in-person.

Aug. 18 – Election Day Ballots must be returned at a ballot drop box by 8 p.m. on Election Day or be postmarked on or before August 18.

For more information, call the King County voter hotline at 206-296-VOTE (8683) or visit www.kingcounty.gov/elections.aspx.