Weekly Report – October 9, 2020

Resources for Voters. The resources and messaging below are from the Director of King County Elections, Julie Wise. King County is expecting 90% turnout, a record during the General Election.

Social Media:

• Feel free to draw from our #Hit90 toolkit where we have post suggestions.
• Here on Flickr you can find graphics and images to pull. 
• Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts (@kcelections) 

Key Dates:

• October 14 – Ballots mailed
• October 15 – Drop boxes open
• October 19 – Voters should have their ballot in hand by the 10/19 mail delivery
• October 26 – Deadline for online and mail voter registration
• November 3 – Election Day! Drop boxes close at 8 p.m. sharp or ballots must be postmarked by today
• November 23 – Final day to return the form to cure a challenge/fix a signature issue
• November 24 – Certification Day, marks the official end of vote counting

Register to Vote:

• Register to vote! The simplest way to register to vote is to go online to VoteWA.gov. The deadline to register to vote online or return a paper registration form by mail is Monday, October 26.
• To be eligible to register to vote, you must be a US citizen, a Washington State resident, and not under Department of Corrections supervision for a Washington felony conviction. To cast a ballot, you must also be 18 by Election Day.

 Make a Plan:

• Life is busy and creating a voting plan can help make sure you get your ballot in on time. Make a voting plan today so that you know when you’ll vote, who you’ll vote for, and how you’ll return your ballot. You can use the template available on our website here.
• We strongly recommend voting early in this election. Voting early means that you can rest easy on Election Day knowing that you did your part and it means that we are able to provide a more meaningful set of initial results on Election Night
• Drop Boxes:

• If you don’t send back your ballot in the mail, return your ballot to a nearby DropBox. Your ballot must be returned to a ballot drop box by 8 p.m. on Election Day.
• Ballot drop boxes are a secure and convenient way for voters to return their ballot. Constructed of half-inch thick steel, the boxes are bolted to concrete with steel bolts, with multiple locking mechanisms, no pry points, and equipped with tamper-evident seals drop boxes.
• Just this month, King County Elections installed its newest drop boxes at the Black Diamond and Carnation libraries! Find your nearest DropBox here – there are 73 across the county.  

 Tracking Your Ballot:

• Here you can view your voter registration information, track your ballot and read about the contests on your ballot.
• Track your ballot. You took the time to vote and return your ballot. Now, make sure that your ballot counted and be confident on Election Day that your voice was heard
• Voting during Covid-19:

• Given the pandemic, we are encouraging those who don’t require assistance to vote from home so we can keep lines and crowds down and voters and staff safe. That said, the decision to come in person is ultimately up to the voter.
• Anyone who comes to see us in person should plan on wearing a mask and following social distancing guidelines. All staff will be masked and gloved and we will have markers on the floor and staff on hand to help keep lines orderly and distanced. 

Vote Centers:

• We will have Vote Centers in seven locations: Elections HQ in Renton, CenturyLink Field Event Center and the Dempsey Indoor Center on the UW Campus in Seattle, Bellevue College, Accesso Showare Center in Kent, the Federal Way Performing Arts Center, and Kenmore City Hall.
• The Renton Vote Center—at King County Elections’ headquarters—will be open throughout the voting period and all other locations will be open on Saturday 10/31, Monday 11/2, and Tuesday 11/3. We recommend coming to see us in Renton or visiting one of the other locations on Saturday 10/31 to avoid the long lines we inevitably see on Election Day. If you must come on Election Day, the earlier you can make it, the less likely you are to wait in a long line. 

Accessible Voting:

• Vote centers are available for voters that need assistance. Each center has voting machines that offer audio or large print ballots, and other assistive devices. Elections staff are available to assist as needed. Voters can also register to vote and get their ballot through Election Day.
• Find out about other options and resources available here.   

“Voting early means you can rest easy on Election Day knowing you did your part “