Voters Missing Ballots Told to Call Elections Hotline

King County voters who registered to vote or updated their address information with the Washington State Department of Licensing and failed to receive a ballot may still participate in the November General Election.

The Secretary of State’s office indicated that some voter records throughout the state were not updated as quickly as intended due to a delay in the information exchange from the Department of Licensing. Because King County pays to have ballots forwarded to voters when they move or change an address, most registered voters should have received their ballots in the mail. Statewide, an estimated 21,000 ballots might be affected, according to The Seattle Times.

“We communicate extensively to remind voters to contact us to update their voter information or to check with us if they haven’t received their ballots in the mail,” said Sherril Huff, King County Elections Director. “We have begun working with the information we’re getting from the State to ensure that all of the King County voters impacted by this problem are properly registered, but we believe that many of their records have already been updated.”

An earlier, unrelated problem with approximately 11,000 ballots destined for Eastside homes—first identified by King County Elections on Oct. 28—has been resolved and ballots sent to their proper addresses, officials said. 

Voters who have not received a ballot for any reason or who believe they have the wrong ballot should first contact the Elections Department at 206-296-VOTE (8683) for further information. Even though today is Election Day and the last day to vote in the current election, there are options to ensure that all registered voters can participate. Provisional ballots are an option if there is a question about a voter’s registration.

“If you have not received a ballot for any reason and you believe you should have, call us and let us help you find a way to vote,” added Huff. “The earlier you contact us, the better, as we can offer more options and help you avoid any lines that may form due to last minute voters.”

King County voters who have questions regarding their voter registration information can check their record online at www.myvote.wa.gov or contact King County Elections.

(Editor's Note: Due to an editing error, an earlier version of this story reported the address updating problem with the Secretary of State's office in a way that could imply an earlier King County Elections problem delivering 11,000 ballots to Eastside homes is related. They are not related. Patch regrets the error.)