To ensure your vote is counted, follow this guidance, says Pierce County auditor
This November General Election will be the largest in Pierce County’s history. We have more registered voters and will count more ballots than ever before. I’m asking you, dear reader, to share these simple facts with others.
Vote Early. Ballots are sent to voters 18 days prior to the election (your ballot should arrive October 17 – 21). We encourage you to vote as soon as you can. Early voting ensures your ballot is received before the Nov. 3 deadline, reduces the chance you’ll misplace your ballot, and helps us manage our workload.
Mail is Reliable. There are no changes in delivery standards for nonprofit or first-class mail, and ballots will continue to be processed through the Tacoma distribution center during the November election. Pierce County Elections has confidence in mail carriers and their ability to pick up and deliver ballots with the highest ethical standards. In fact, I’ll mail my own ballot using USPS, rather than use a Ballot Drop Box.
Did you know that you can confirm that your ballot has been received by Pierce County Elections? Visit VoteWA.gov to see your ballot status. If you send your ballot by mail, allow five to seven days before checking your ballot status to allow time for transport and the uploading of your ballot into the election management system.
Ballot Drop Boxes are Plentiful. There are 46 Ballot Drop Boxes in Pierce County and 95% of Pierce County voters live within a 2-mile radius of a Ballot Drop Box. Boxes are emptied at least every 48 hours. As Nov. 3 draws closer, we visit the boxes daily and sometimes multiple times a day.
Our employees are nonpartisan professionals who have passed a background check, always work in teams of two, and are GPS-tracked by supervisors. They always wear identification. You can ensure your ballot was received by logging into VoteWA.gov. Please allow three days for us to transport and upload your ballot into the election management system.
Vote from Home. Washington State became a “vote from home” state in 2011. Counties no longer have voting machines on which you cast your vote. Anyone who comes to the Election Center to vote “in person” will simply be handed another copy of the same ballot previously mailed.
Please vote the ballot that is mailed to you. Only travel to Pierce County Elections if you need to register to vote or you don’t have a ballot. Even then, we would like you to call first at (253) 798-8683 (VOTE), because we may be able to help you online or by phone.
To protect everyone from COVID-19 exposure, in-person assistance needed during the last three days of the election will be conducted via vehicle drive-thru. Voter registration and issuance of replacement ballots will take place inside your car.
Thank you for being a Pierce County voter!
Julie Anderson is Pierce County auditor.