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Reed explains effects of increased vote by mail - Urges voters to send ballots before November 7 |
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News Release
Issued: November 03, 2006
Spokane... Days before the November 7 General Election, Secretary of State Sam Reed detailed the effects of increased vote by mail on Washington State’s elections.
"Mail balloting gives citizens more time to really study the issues and candidates. They can sit down in the living room with friends and family and discuss the issues," stated Reed. "Voters can vote with their Voters’ Pamphlet or computer next to them to examine and analyze their choices."
Vote by mail is also proven to increase turnout. Prior to legislation that passed in 2005, which allowed counties the option to conduct elections entirely by mail, only four counties were voting completely by mail. In 2001 state turnout reached 45%, and in 2003 41% of registered voters cast ballots.
Following the passage of this legislation, 28 counties switched to all vote by mail elections. In the 2005 General Election turnout shot up to 52%, with nearly 60% turnout in vote by mail counties.
In September, 93% of registered voters who cast ballots in the Primary, cast their ballots by mail with 34 counties voting entirely by mail. Reed predicts 88% of voters in November will also cast mail ballots; his overall turnout prediction is 67% – the greatest percentage in an even-year, non-presidential election in recent history.
"Voters may feel the ceremonial nature of exercising their civic duty to vote has been removed with the polling locations," noted Reed. "But voters now have the power to create new traditions when casting their ballots. Mail voters have the ability to make their voting experience truly unique to them."
Ballots may be dropped off at County Courthouses or local elections offices. Ballot drop off boxes are also located throughout the counties.
Voting by mail is secure. Every signature on each ballot is checked against the signature on the voter-registration record. If the signature looks suspicious, the vote isn’t counted until the voter is contacted and the signature is verified. Ballots are kept under lock and key, usually in secured cages. The ballot storage area is restricted to a handful of election personnel, no one person is left alone with ballots. Counties also keep logs of entry into the secured ballot locations, some larger counties monitor access to these areas by video and King County even has armed sheriff’s deputies that guard ballots and the facility around the clock.
Many counties are also using a ballot audit system that tracks ballot inventories. This system of ballot tracking allows for election officials to account for every ballot as they move from receiving, through processing, to a tabulator, and into secure storage.
On election night, vote by mail counties will be able to produce results promptly. Poll site counties must wait for poll sites to report in, some of which require long drives to the tabulation center. All mail counties will have already processed all the vote by mail ballots received before Election Day. At 8:00pm on election night, mail counties will be able to hit the tabulation button to receive results. Overall, mail counties will be reporting quicker than those counties waiting on poll sites.
Citizens who cast ballots by mail must have their ballots postmarked on or before Election Day. Reed strongly urges voters to mail their ballots prior to Election Day, read their ballot instructions carefully, and to check with their County Auditor for drop-off times and locations. For county election offices contact information visit www.secstate.wa.gov/elections/auditors.aspx .
