Ballots arriving for special election - new verification options for voters with disabilities

King County Elections mailed ballots to voters countywide for the April Special Election. All 1.4 million registered voters are eligible to participate in this election. 

Countywide there are six ballot measures but only one locally, to renew the levy for the automated fingerprint identification system (AFIS).

If you have not received your ballot by Monday, April 7, 2025 call 206-296-VOTE (8683).

King County Elections is piloting a new way for voters to verify their ballot. 

This pilot comes after years of advocacy from voters with disabilities. While signatures work for most voters, they do not work for all, and the King County Elections’ Disability Advisory Committee has been instrumental in voicing the need for new ways for all voters to be able to cast a private and secure ballot.

“Allowing voters to provide their information rather than physically signing the envelope means that more voters will be able to navigate voting independently and privately." said Marci Carpenter, President of the National Federation of the Blind of Washington and member of King County Elections’ Disability Advisory Committee.

In this election only, voters can choose to sign their return envelope as they normally would OR they can go to kce.wiki/verify and provide their Washington State ID or driver’s license number or the last four digits of their Social Security Number. That information must match the voter’s registration record, just like their signature on the return envelope must match the signature(s) on file.

No matter how a voter verifies, they must return their ballot to have their vote counted. Ballots must be postmarked by Election Day, April 22, 2025 or in a ballot drop box by 8pm sharp on Election Day.

Voters can track their ballot online and sign up for ballot alerts, text and email notifications about where their ballot is in the process.