The “sizzle factor” is low in this off-year election, which is why local officials say they are only expecting about a 46 percent return once all the votes are tallied. Nonetheless, they are urging people to get their ballots in by Tuesday’s deadline.
Elections officials say despite having several weeks to complete and mail in ballots, most voters wait until the last minute.
As of Monday afternoon, only about 750,000 were in, or 19 percent of the vote statewide.
Many of the local races are for low-profile offices such as water districts or school boards and might require a bit of extra time reading up on the background.
Still, State Election Director Lori Augino says it is especially important to take part.
“Because this is when we’re electing people that really, truly make a difference in our day-to-day lives — the taxes that we pay, the streets that we drive, the schools that our kids attend,” she said.
To help speed up the counting, officials say it is best to take your ballot to a drop box before 5 p.m. on Election Day, rather than mailing it in, though it will be valid if postmarked by midnight on Tuesday.
If you know you are registered but can’t locate your ballot, it is possible to vote in person. You can find information on where, as well as the locations of county drop boxes by going online to myvote.wa.gov.
Washington is one of only three states in the country that conducts its voting entirely by mail. Officials completed the switch for all counties in 2011. What many people might not realize is that, if you are registered, it is still possible to vote in person in a pinch.
“Anyone has the option to go to a local voting center. Someone who maybe chooses not to vote their vote-by-mail ballot, made a mistake and needed a replacement ballot, for some reason can’t find it or just has a question, “ Augino said. “These voting centers are available statewide, for voters to access.”
