Ballots will automatically be mailed to all registered voters at least 18 days prior to election day
OLYMPIA — Washington state voters may soon receive a postcard from the U.S. Postal Service encouraging voters to “plan ahead” for the Nov. 3 general election. Among the recommendations is to request a mail-in or absentee ballot at least 15 days before Election Day.
The following is a statement by the Office of the Secretary of State in response to the “If you plan to vote by mail, plan ahead.” postcard.
“Voters in Washington do not need to request a ballot, as ballots are automatically mailed to all registered voters at least 18 days prior to Election Day. There is no need to sign up or request to receive a mail-in ballot to vote in the upcoming election,” said Secretary of State Kim Wyman. “Voters who are unsure if they are registered or if their address on file is current can log in to VoteWA.gov to confirm their registration information.
“The Office of the Secretary of State and county election officials were not made aware this mailer would be sent to Washington residents, nor were we apprised of its content. By the time we learned of the mailer and reached out to the postal service to inquire further, the mailers were already in the mail stream.”
Secretary Wyman recommends Washingtonians visit sos.wa.gov/elections for more information about election dates and deadlines, and how to locate a county elections office if they have any questions or concerns.
The 2020 general election is Nov. 3.
Washington’s Office of the Secretary of State oversees a number of areas within state government, including managing state elections, registering corporations and charities, and governing the use of the state flag and state seal. The office also manages the State Archives and the State Library, documents extraordinary stories in Washington’s history through Legacy Washington, oversees the Combined Fund Drive for charitable giving by state employees, and administers the state’s Address Confidentiality Program to help protect survivors of crime.
