Protect Your Vote

Tomorrow is Election Day, so if you've waited to vote, now is your chance. However, with elections, sometimes comes mistakes, or plain old dirty tricks that keep you from being able to vote. Make sure your vote counts and don't let this fundamental right be taken away because you're unsure about the answer to a question you may have, or because you experience some irregularity in the voting process.

If you have any questions about voting or witness anything out of the ordinary when you vote, call the Washington State Democrats voter hotline at (877) 922-4264.

Below is some good information from the Washington State Democrats on how you can protect your vote:

Mail in your absentee ballot now. Your absentee ballot must be postmarked on Election Day, so you must drop it in the mailbox before the last pickup time listed on the mailbox. However, during the Primary, nearly 6,000 voters put their absentee ballots in the mail on Primary Day, only to miss the last pickup time. Their vote did not count. We encourage you to mail in your ballot as soon as you can today or early on Election Day. Follow the instructions on your ballot about postage and how to mail your ballot.

Haven't received your absentee ballot? We've gotten a lot of questions on our Hotline from people who haven't received their absentee ballot. Is this is you or someone you know? To get a replacement ballot, go to your County Auditor's office or dropoff location. If you live in Pierce or King Counties, you can also go to your local polling place and vote there by provisional ballot on Election Day.

Remember, you can always vote by provisional ballot. Provisional ballots exist to preserve your right to vote. If you have any problems voting - say, you've moved and haven't changed your registration to your new address - you can always vote by provisional ballot. Just go to your County Auditor's office or any polling place (if you live in King or Pierce Counties) to get a provisional ballot. Here are some situations where you may find yourself needing a provisional ballot:

• You aren't at your designated polling place. Even if you are supposed to be at another polling places, you can vote at any poll by provisional ballot.
• You've moved and haven't changed your registration to your new address.
• You go to the polls and you're not in the poll books.
• You haven't received your absentee ballot.
• You're an absentee voter and now want to vote in person.
• You're a poll voter, but you don't have the proper ID.

Watch the mail. If there are any problems with your ballot, your County Auditor will notify you by mail. Watch your mail, and if you do get a notice, follow their directions to a T. The Auditor is trying to help you. You can fix your ballot in the week following Election Day.

Also, please click on this link if you need to find your polling place or want to know where you can drop off your ballot.