Councilmember Dembowski: Make sure your voter registration is up to date

Tuesday was National Voter Registration Day. Take a few minutes to make sure your voter registration is up to date or register to vote if you have not already. If you have moved recently, you will likely need to update your registration. 

You have until October 26, 2020 to register online or by mail, in time to vote in the November 3, 2020 presidential election. To give yourself and our Elections team plenty of time to get you your ballot, I encourage you to check your registration or register to vote today. 

 If registering online is a challenge or you miss the deadline, Washington state allows voters to register in person at an election vote center until 8:00pm on Election Day.

We are fortunate that here in King County, we have had an accessible, safe, and secure vote by mail system in place for years. King County Elections is prepared and well positioned to conduct the November 3 election, where voter turnout is forecasted to be record-breaking.

As voters, it’s important we understand the role we play to help ensure a smooth and accurate election. Here are some voting tips from King County Elections Director Julie Wise:

• One of the most important things voters can do is make a plan to vote. Take two minutes now to make sure your registration is up-to-date. Set an alarm for October 19 – this is when you should have received your ballot. If you haven’t go online or give us a call at (206) 296-VOTE to get a replacement.
• You can track your ballot to make sure that your vote was counted. Use the My Voter Information tool on the King County Elections website. If there is an issue with your signature, you’ll be able to see it and correct it to ensure your vote is counted.
• Vote early! This is what’s going to help us stay ahead of any USPS issues and post as many results as possible on Election Night.

As Director Wise advises, please vote early! I am a big fan of placing my ballot in a ballot drop box. In fact, in 2016 I partnered with Director Wise to expand access to ballot drop off locations, while ensuring geographic equity and convenience for voters. We now have over 70 ballot drop boxes in King County. About half of all ballots were returned to our drop boxes in the August 2020 primary election.

You can find a list of drop box locations here.

Local drop boxes at Lake Forest Park City Hall, Shoreline Library (in back), and in the rain garden corner of the 192nd Park n Ride on Aurora.