By Aaron Allen, The Seattle Medium
Is it still possible to vote in the upcoming general election if you have not registered to vote yet?
According to the King County Elections office it is not too late to cast your vote. Although the deadline for online voter registration in King County has passed, in-person voting and voter registration is permitted up until November 3.
“The deadline has passed for online and by mail registration for voters,” says Julie Wise, Director of Elections for King County. “If voters missed this deadline then they can go in person to their election offices across the state and voting centers all the way up to and including November 3rd, which is election day.”
Access to voting and voting information is very important when it comes to the potential disenfranchisement of eligible voters, and there has been a lot of confusion across the country when it comes to the voting rights of felons. However, according to King County Elections, under Washington State law as long as a person is not currently incarcerated or under supervision of the Department of Corrections for a Washington State felony they are eligible to vote. In addition, the state has also made provisions to allow same day registration and pre-registration for sixteen and seventeen-year old voters.
Because of the unique circumstances surrounding this year’s elections – a toxic political landscape, COVID-19, fears of voter fraud and foreign interference with the election – election officials across the state are doing all that they can to ensure that voting systems across the state keep their integrity and provide a safe environment in which people can exercise their right to vote.
“Washington State has been preparing for years ahead of this type of election,” says Wise. “With all the work we have put in in election reform over the last decade…. we are very well positioned to run elections amid a pandemic and a presidential election, the largest we have ever seen.”
Washington has also placed ballot boxes all across the city, county and state to make it easy for citizens to turn in their ballots. There are 73 drop box locations in King County, which means 96 percent of voters have a drop box within at least three miles of their home. That distance can be even less in urban areas like Seattle.
According to Wise, Washington State has 560 drop box locations across the state, with 85 percent of voters across the state having a drop box within a three- mile radius across the state, that is one drop box per 8,800 voters.
In addition, voters can also return their ballots in the mail at no charge by utilizing the prepaid postage return envelope they received with their ballot.
Despite all of the political rhetoric surrounding elections, Wise is confident that everyone who is eligible to vote will have the opportunity to do so, and that the outcomes of the election will reflect the will of the voters.
“All of our initiatives for removing barriers and increase access for voters I think have been working,” says Wise. “And of course, the security components that we’ve been doing to ensure our facilities are safe and to ensure cyber-security around this election has also been at the forefront of all administrators minds and we have been doing a lot of work to make sure our systems are resilient.”
In an effort to further increase voter engagement, King County Elections, CenturyLink Field, and the Seattle Seahawks are hosting a Vote Center at the CenturyLink Field Event Center. The center will be open Sat., Oct. 31, Mon., Nov. 2, and Tues., Nov. 3 for voters who still need to register, get a replacement ballot, or receive other assistance in-person to do so in the days leading up to Election Day.
King County Elections will offer drive-up service for those arriving in their vehicles, and provide service and assistance to those arriving via transit or by foot. Voters are encouraged to wear a mask while inside the Event Center and will be provided with one should they need. King County Elections staff will be masked, wearing gloves, and equipped with face shields to deter the spread of COVID-19.
“We cannot express our gratitude enough to CenturyLink Field and the Seattle Seahawks for how they’ve stepped up for our voters,” says Wise. “Even before sports leagues and other teams across the country began lending their voices to the importance of voting, they have worked alongside us to ensure that every voice in King County and in Washington State can be heard and every vote counted.”
For more information on voting and voter registration in King County, please visit https://www.kingcounty.gov/depts/elections/how-to-vote/register-to-vote.aspx or call (206) 296-VOTE (8683).
