Within the next week or so, many Washingtonians will receive ballots for the Nov. 4 general election.
Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs is urging voters to fill out and return their ballots as soon as possible, especially if they're planning to do so by mail.
Hobbs said official drop boxes are the best option for getting ballots in on time.
Due to budget cuts, Hobbs said, the U.S. Postal Service can no longer guarantee that ballots put in mailboxes will be postmarked in time for the election — even if they're dropped in early.
USPS is undergoing a number of service and operational changes as part of a 10-year financial sustainability plan. The agency's operations are not impacted by the federal government shutdown.
Ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day on Nov. 4. If ballots aren’t postmarked in time, those votes won't be counted.
The only way to ensure a postmark on Election Day is to go to the post office counter and ask a clerk to stamp it for you.
"If you go to the post office and just drop it in those blue mailboxes right outside the post office, or one of those little slots as outgoing mail — probably not going to be assured," Hobbs said. "But if you go to the counter and ask them to do that for you, they will do that for you."
This is especially important for voters who live in rural areas and might not have easy access to a ballot drop box.
Overall, more voters in Washington are using drop boxes instead of the mail. Hobbs said in the 2024 general election about 66% of voters used drop boxes, while around 32% returned ballots in the mail.
The Secretary of State’s office has a map to help people locate the nearest drop box or voting center.
