If you’re wondering if you’ll be able to vote by mail in the midterms, you’re not alone.
Amid the chaos of election news, King County has some recommendations for how to prepare for the upcoming election, and making sure your vote is counted.
But here’s the gist, according to King County Elections Communications Manager Halei Watkins: Even if there’s a major disruption to vote-by-mail systems, there are ample ways for voters to receive a ballot and vote on Nov. 3.
“To be clear, there are no proposals at the federal level that would require us to go back to full polling places or to eliminate voting by mail altogether,” Watkins said. “The current and most likely issue is around USPS and delivery of ballots and election mail. All of that is to say that yes, you would still be able to get your ballot, vote at home (or wherever!), and then return by drop box.”
As of Sept. 10, King County’s mail-in election system is currently unaffected by new rule changes being made by the federal government.
Most recently, on Sept. 4, a federal judge handed down a preliminary injunction to the U.S. Postal Service, preventing it from enacting new rules that would tighten mail-in voting requirements across the country.
Under the new rules, states must send the postal service a list of mail ballot recipients and use agency-approved ballot envelopes, despite the fact that many states have already printed their envelopes, or are even close to mailing out ballots.
USPS could refuse to send states ballots if they don’t comply with the new system.
Additionally, an unidentified whistleblower said a new online portal that checks those voter lists before sending out ballots was hastily made and filled with errors. The whistleblower also said it is designed to reject tens of thousands of ballots if there is a scanning error with a single ballot in a batch.
That could significantly affect a large portion of King County voters; virtually all registered voters received a ballot through the mail during the last presidential election, and about 1/3 sent their ballot back to the county via the post.
The county has urged USPS to withdraw the new rules, citing significant risks to voter disenfranchisement and data privacy and cybersecurity concerns.
But there are alternatives to mail-in voting, and it appears King County residents may already be shifting away from mailing in their ballots in favor of using drop boxes.
“Interestingly, in the recent August primary, we saw 70% of returns come through drop box, which says to me that folks hear that concern about USPS and are already opting more for drop boxes,” Watkins said. “We expect that percentage to be even higher in the general election this year.”
Whether or not you vote by mail, Watkins suggested all registered voters should check if their information is up to date as soon as possible. Voters can update their registration online or by mail by Oct. 26, or in person through election day.
Those are the same deadlines for registering to vote online and by mail, or in person.
“We also encourage voters to go ahead and sign up for ballot alerts as well, which are text and email alerts about where your ballot is in the process,” Watkins continued. “This includes when your ballot is mailed to you, when it’s received back at Elections HQ, and when your signature is verified and ready for counting.”
Ballots are scheduled to be mailed out on Oct. 14. If you’re a registered voter and you don’t receive your ballot by Oct. 19, call King County Elections at 206-296-8683.
Alternatively, registered voters can access their ballots online (wa.omniballot.us/sites/53033/site/app/home), and can fill out their selections on the computer before printing them out, or vice versa.
“Over the years, we have also seen this grow as a popular option with those who have lost their ballot or otherwise need a replacement, especially in those last few days leading up to Election Day,” Watkins said.
Whether you receive a ballot in the mail or print your own, ballots can be dropped off at one of 91 drop boxes around the county. Virtually all voters live within a three mile trip to a drop box.
Finally, voters can cast a ballot in-person at Elections HQ in Renton or off-site voting centers at Bellevue College, the Weyerhaeuser Aquatic Center Banquet Hall in Federal Way, Kenmore City Hall, the Green River College Kent Campus and Seattle City Hall.
Election HQ is open year-round, and voters can cast a ballot there starting Oct. 14. Other locations will be open on Saturday, Oct. 31 (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.), as well as Monday, Nov. 2 (8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.) and election day (8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.).
There are also “accessible voting events” where election officials visit local communities for a limited period of time at libraries or community centers to offer registration and ballot services. A schedule of voting events will be posted on the county’s website late-September or early October, Watkins said.
Wait times at voting centers in population cities (like in Seattle or Renton) “crept up” to about an hour during the 2024 presidential election, but wait times at more suburban locations were about 20 minutes.
“… [T]he closer you get to 8 p.m. on Election Day, the more likely you are to encounter a line at a Vote Center and even at our busier drop boxes,” Watkins said. “Size and capacity of the space vary widely by location, but of course we aim to have larger spaces in our more high-traffic communities like Seattle.”
Less than 23,000 people voted in-person at a voting center during the last presidential election — and about 14,000 people cast their ballot on election day.
