Nearly 1.1 million ballots for the Nov. 3 general election were delivered to the U.S. Post Service Thursday and will be arriving soon in mailboxes throughout King County.
More than 17,000 ballots were mailed to voters serving in the military and those living overseas and out of state on Oct. 2 to allow extra transit time for delivery.
“While staff have been preparing for months, today really kicks off the November election for voters,” said Sherril Huff, Elections director. “From here on, drop boxes and accessible voting centers will be opened, our phone bank is ready to take your calls, and ballots will be returned and processed. Our vote by mail process has given voters a lot of flexibility and Election Day is really expanded over several weeks.”
Ballots must be returned to Elections or postmarked by Nov. 3, Election Day.
The ballot packet contains everything needed to cast your vote: an instructional insert with list of 24-hour ballot drop boxes, an inner security envelope and a specific envelope to return your sealed ballot. Your signature is just as important as your vote; remember to follow instructions and take your time when reading and signing the voter oath that is located on the return envelope.
There are many steps that ballots go through when voting by mail; the whole process is detailed in the voter pamphlet and on the Elections’ web site. In addition to tracking your ballot at three steps in the process, the Web site is your ‘one stop shop’ for everything related to the election. The “your voter guide” feature allows voters to create a personalized voters’ pamphlet, check and confirm their registration information and find answers to frequently asked questions. Visit www.kingcounty.gov/elections for more information.
To ensure that voters with disabilities are able to cast a private and independent ballot, three accessible voting centers are available for the Nov. 3 election. In-person accessible voting begins today for all voters at King County Elections’ new Tukwila office, weekdays, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Seattle and Bellevue locations will open on October 30.
For more information on the Nov. 3 General Election and directions to the new Tukwila location, visit www.kingcounty.gov/elections/elections/200911.aspx.
