Voters asked to request mail-in ballots, despite Washington already receiving them

While 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, local voters need not be concerned. 

Among the recommendations in the mailing is to request a mail-in or absentee ballot at least 15 days before Election Day.

Secretary of State Kim Wyman responded to that portion of the mailing, saying;

“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,” adding, “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.”

 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.

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 prior to the 2020 General Election on Nov. 3.