Author: K. Hosh

Here’s how to Track your Ballot…and More!

K. Hosh

Election Day is approaching and you’re wondering: where’s my ballot? Or you’re not even sure if you’re registered.

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We’ve now made it easier than ever to find the information you need. Our new My Voter Information application helps you view your voter registration, track your ballot and even check your voting history.

Voters can see their current voter registration information, as well as the deadlines to update their registered address. And, voters eligible for the current election can see their voter registration details for the election. They can also see the candidates and measures on their ballot with links to the candidates’ statements in the voters’ pamphlet.

During an election, you can track your ballot at four different stages.

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Primary Election 2017: Drop Boxes with the Most Returns

K. Hosh

This year, we added 11 new ballot drop boxes in time for the August 1 Primary Election, for a total of 54 drop boxes. About 94 percent of county residents now live within 3 miles of a drop box.

Despite the increase in drop boxes, slightly more people chose to mail their ballots during the primary. About 52 percent of ballots were sent through the mail, compared to 48 percent that were brought to a drop box.

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How Seattle Voted in the Mayoral Primary

K. Hosh

Updated 8/16/2017:

The race for Seattle mayor is now over, with Jenny Durkan and Cary Moon advancing to the November General Election. On Tuesday, King County Elections certified the August 2017 Primary Election. Now that election results are final, we dived back into the data to see how Seattle neighborhoods voted for mayor. (See our updated map below, which now includes voter turnout.) A lot has changed since Election Night: Nikkita Oliver gained three more neighborhoods, and Moon won her first neighborhood.

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Introducing our New Drop Boxes

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King County Elections Director Julie Wise, King County Councilmember Kathy Lambert, and Michelle Drovdhal of the King County Library System, celebrate the opening of the ballot drop box at the Fall City Library.

King County Elections has opened 11 new ballot drop boxes in time for the August 1 Primary Election! Several of the new ballot drop-off locations received a drop box for the first time, including the Central District in Seattle, Fall City, Kenmore, Mercer Island, Newcastle, and Tukwila. King County now has a total of 54 drop boxes. About 94 percent of county residents live within 3 miles of a drop box. Continue reading →

What Happens in a Primary Election?

K. Hosh

This is a big local election year for King County, with more than 600 candidates running for office. Not all races will have a primary, though. Except for presidential primaries, Washington State uses a Top Two style primary system. Under this system, a registered voter does not declare a party affiliation and can vote for any candidate in each race, regardless of the candidate’s party preference. The top two candidates in each race advance to the General Election, regardless of their party affiliation.

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For the August primary, the Seattle mayoral race has the most candidates. A total of 21 people are vying to be the city’s next mayor. The top two candidates with the most votes in the primary will move onto the General Election.

The Top Two system is popular among voters because it focuses on the candidates rather than the political parties. Washington hasn’t always had a Top Two primary system. From 1935 to 2003, the state held a “blanket primary” system where citizens could vote for a candidate of one party for one office, and then vote for a candidate of another party for the next office. The state briefly switched to a pick-a-party primary system in 2004, in which the voter was required to affiliate with a party and only vote for candidates of that party.

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King County Elections Replaces Tabulation System

K. Hosh

We replaced our tabulation and processing equipment with a new system that better serves the County’s growing voter population (nearly 1.3 million registered voters and counting!) We’ll start using the new software to process the August 1 Primary Election.

So, why are we updating our elections equipment now? It’s mainly because the old system was nearly 10-years-old and approaching the end of its useful life. With King County’s ever-increasing voter population, the system was frequently bumping up against its capacity, which could create slowdowns and delays in results processing.

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Janice Case, Elections Services Manager, demonstrates the new accessible voting units to a television reporter.

The new system consists of user-friendly accessible voting units, high-speed scanners and an improved system to correct ballots with irregularities. Ballots will be processed more efficiently, with fewer requiring special handling. The upgraded system will produce faster results and count more votes on Election Night.

The new accessible voting units allow a voter to mark their ballot on an intuitive user-interface. Voters can use the touchscreen option or other assistive technology device. Once the voter has completed the ballot marking process, they will print the machine-marked ballot and place it in a ballot drop box.

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King County Elections and Seattle Foundation announce recipients of $435,000 Voter Education Fund

K. Hosh

We’re excited to announce the recipients of the Voter Education Fund. King County Elections and Seattle Foundation are providing $435,000 in grants for voter engagement in communities that are historically underrepresented in the democratic process.

A total of 30 community-based organizations are receiving funding to offer basic education about voting in King County and technical assistance, such as helping voters complete a voter registration form.

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A presidential town hall with limited-English speaking voters.

The fund offered community-based organizations the opportunity to apply for up to $25,000 to develop a 9-month campaign to engage voters or potential voters and up to $10,000 to provide a series of smaller events.

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I’m a new citizen: How do I register to vote?

K. Hosh

Are you a new U.S. citizen? First, congratulations! We know the path to citizenship can be a long one, so well done. One of the things you can now do as a U.S. citizen is vote. But first, you’ll need to register. There are a number of ways.

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Pre-paid Postage: Round Two

K. Hosh

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King County Elections tested pre-paid postage again, this time with the April special election in the Vashon Island School District. About 8,800 voters received ballot packets that included a return envelope with the postage already paid. Continue reading →

Want to Run for Office?

K. Hosh

King County Elections is hosting two candidate workshops for anyone interested in running for office in the County.  The workshops are free and open to the public. Come to either workshop to learn how to file for office and submit your voters’ pamphlet information. We’ll also discuss campaign sign regulations and provide basic information on campaign finance.

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