No national races, but plenty at stake in the general election

Voter turnout for Tuesday’s general election is not expected to break any records but is expected to be typical of an odd or off-year election.

“In the last couple of years, it’s been between 35 and 40% and that’s generally what I’m expecting to see,” Stuart Holmes, Director of Elections, Washington Secretary of State’s Office, said.

There are no congressional or statewide races on the ballot in Washington, just a few legislative races and one statewide measure. But Holmes said there is plenty at stake.

“Voters should expect to see local districts on their ballot. You’ve got your cities, your fire districts, your school boards, many of those smaller districts,” he explained.

Whether it’s the local taxes you pay or the policies in your local schools, “These are the elections which most directly impact your daily life on a regular basis,” Holmes said.

“It’s these local offices that really have a huge impact on our day-to-day lives,” Halei Watkins, Communications Manager at King County Elections, added. “There are 491 candidates running for 337 offices just in King County alone. So lots for voters to weigh in on.”

Officials don’t recommend mailing in ballot ahead of general election

Washington is a largely vote-by-mail state, but this close to election day, election officials don’t recommend mailing in your ballot.

If you do choose to drop it off at your local post office, “Take it up to the counter, have them what’s called hand cancel — mark it as received, on election day — so it’ll get counted by the county elections officials,” Holmes said.

You have until 8 p.m. on Tuesday to drop it in an election drop box, and you can find one here.

Watkins said, how ballots are collected and counted is spelled out in state and local laws, and that there are multiple checks and balances along the way to ensure the integrity of the election.

“After you drop that ballot into a drop box, it’s going to be collected by a trained team of two and brought directly back to our facility here in Renton for processing,” she said. “Processing happens under the watchful eye of observers from both major political parties, nonpartisan observers, and the public can even watch us work at home on our live stream webcams that are available on our website.”

Watkins said you can even track your ballot.

“You can do so online or by signing up for our ballot alerts, which are text or email alerts about where your ballot is in the process,” she explained.

To track your ballot in King County, visit the county’s website.

For other counties, go here.

Read more of Heather Bosch’s stories here.

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