The time has come to vote! Thanks to consistent Democratic majorities in Olympia and extremely competent leadership at the King County Elections (KCE) department, the process just keeps getting easier and easier. 

And this year, the ballots are coming with custom “I Voted” stickers, which is kinda fun. 😃 Okay, let’s make sure you’re ready to do your civic duty! 

Registering to Vote 

Before the county will send you a ballot, you need to register to vote. To register, you must be a citizen over the age of 18 who is not currently totally confined in a prison. 

Not quite 18? Well, if you’re 16 or 17, then you can sign up as a future voter, and the state will automatically register you to vote on your 18th birthday. Also, if you will turn 18 between August 6 and November 5 of this year, then you can vote in the August primary.

We have some automatic voter registration in Washington State. If you have an enhanced driver’s license or ID, then you’re already in. If you just got out of prison, then your right to vote has been automatically restored, so make sure you’re registered. 

You can register to vote by mail or online at votewa.gov until July 29. Make sure to have a copy of your Washington State driver’s license or a current Washington State ID handy. If you have neither, then that’s NO EXCUSE. You can still register by mail or in person at any of the county’s many voting centers. And if you miss the online or snail mail voter registration deadline for the August primary, then you can still register in person at a voting center until 8 pm on Election Day. If you’re unsure about your registration status, then confirm it at votewa.gov. 

Your Ballot 

The county mails ballots to all registered voters. For this election, your ballot should arrive in your mailbox by July 22. If it’s not there by the end of that day, then ask KCE what’s up. (By phone at 206-296-VOTE (8683) or by email at elections@kingcounty.gov.) 

Once you have your ballot, rip it open, set the new “I Voted” sticker aside for the time being, and then grab a pen—you can use any color you’d like, even sparkly pink (especially sparkly pink). Then find The Stranger’s endorsements on this very website and carefully fill in the bubbles we tell you to fill in. (If you’re running out of time, just jump straight to the Cheat Sheet.) After that, slide your ballot into its cute little Hot Pocket sleeve, stuff the whole package in its envelope, and then mail it in—no need for a stamp! If you fancy a little walk, then drop your ballot into a nearby dropbox no later than Tuesday, August 6, at 8 pm.

This year, KCE added a few new ballot boxes, bringing their grand total up to 83!!! They added a second box at the Ballard Library location, another at 12th Avenue and Cherry Street, another at Morgan Junction Park in West Seattle, and another at the South Sammamish Park & Ride. Also, FYI, they moved the box at Seattle Central College about 10 feet, and they moved the box on the Muckleshoot Reservation from the administrative building to the new community center. 

Once you’ve sent your ballot on its way, then slap that sticker on your chest and walk around proudly advertising your civic pride. Or do a social media post, you little democracy influencer. 

Now you’ve voted! Nice job. But your duty isn’t quite done yet. 

Track It

Once your ballot leaves your hand, you’ll want to track that thing to make sure your vote has been counted. Easy enough! Just head to the county website and sign up for ballot tracking and text alerts. 

If you sign up, KCE will send you a reminder text on the Thursday before Election Day if they have not received your ballot. 

If KCE “challenges” (i.e., contests) your ballot due to some issue with your signature or something else, then you can resolve the issue online. New state rules now allow KCE to accept Washington State ID numbers, Washington State driver’s licenses, or the last four digits of your social security number to prove that you are who you say you are, so it’s easier than ever to fix your ballot.

According to a spokesperson at KCE, text subscribers turn out at much higher rates than non-text subscribers, and they also fix their challenged ballots at higher rates—so join the club!! 

Happy voting.