Ballot boxes open across Washington
Election Day is more than two weeks away, and ballot boxes across the state have already been opened.
Washington residents begin voting in the general election on October 18th, but how can they track their mailed ballots and find out if they’ve been counted?
Ballots were mailed out from Washington counties on Friday, beginning an 18-day voting period ahead of Election Day on November 5th.
Keep reading to learn more about the mail-in voting system and how to check if your vote was actually counted.
How do I vote by mail in Washington?
After voters receive and mark their ballots, they must place them in a provided secrecy sleeve or envelope, according to the Washington Secretary of State’s website. Voters must place the sleeve in a prepaid return envelope, sign and date it before mailing it.
Ballots can be returned by mail or at official drop box locations, which officially close at 8 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 5.
How can I find out if my mail-in vote was counted in Washington State?
Once voters have mailed their ballots, they can track them online at votewa.gov, according to the Washington Secretary of State’s website. To access the voter portal, you must be registered to vote in Washington. If you are already registered to vote in Washington, an account on the votewa site will be automatically created for you.
Once you’ve accessed our online voter registration and vote management portal, all you need to do is enter your first name, last name, and date of birth. Name must match voter registration.
Anyone who needs to update their registration information can do so online at votewa.gov, but must do so by the Oct. 28 deadline.
Ballot status will be updated as it is received and processed. Officials say it will take approximately three to five business days for ballots to be mailed and received.
As of October 1, there are more than 4.9 million active voters in Washington state, according to the Secretary of State.
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