Washington Early Vote Tops 2022 Pace
Over 1.6 million ballots were returned four days before the election, with older voters leading participation rates.
By Rahul Sato ·
More than 1.6 million Washington residents have returned their ballots ahead of the upcoming Tuesday election. The Washington Secretary of State’s Office released data on Friday showing that 1,696,308 ballots have been processed so far. This figure represents a 32.84% return rate among the state’s 5,165,860 registered voters. The number slightly exceeds the 32.2% return rate recorded at the same point during the 2022 midterm cycle.
Older citizens are driving the current turnout. Voters aged 65 and older have returned 58.1% of their ballots. In contrast, the 18-to-24 demographic has returned only 13.3%. Most early voters are using physical collection points rather than the postal service. Data shows that 70.42% of returned ballots came via official drop boxes, while 28.85% were mailed in.
Election officials have accepted the majority of submissions. However, 10,695 ballots have been challenged, which accounts for 0.63% of all returned votes. Signature verification issues are the primary cause of these challenges. State records indicate that 6,122 ballots were flagged because the signature did not match the voter’s registration record. Another 2,731 ballots were submitted without a signature. An additional 652 ballots remain under review.
The deadline to register to vote online or by mail has passed. Residents who have not yet registered must visit a local election office in person to complete the process. Election officials recommend using local drop boxes to ensure ballots arrive before the deadline. Louie, a voter in Ballard, dropped off his ballot at the Ballard Public Library on Sunday. He described early voting as a way to protect his interests and ensure his voice is heard.
“Every election has always been a sense of urgency for me to make a difference by voting and to keep my interests guarded by the vote,” Louie said. He noted that he is pleased to see a strong effort from other citizens to participate. The Secretary of State’s dashboard provides detailed statistics on early voting trends across the state.
Source: KZJO
