King County to mail primary election ballots Wednesday, July 18

King County Elections will mail about 1.1 million ballots Wednesday, July 18 to voters via the U.S. Postal Service for the Aug. 7 primary.

Ballots will arrive soon in mailboxes throughout King County. The county already sent about 15,000 ballots to voters living overseas and those serving in the military to allow extra time for delivery.

“Voters should watch for their ballots in the mail and contact us if they haven’t received their ballot by July 25,” said Sherril Huff, elections director, in a media release. “Following the instructions and returning ballots as early as possible helps us process ballots efficiently and provides time to resolve any issues that may occur with voters’ signatures.”

King County voters also will begin receiving their voters’ pamphlet in the mail this week. Voters’ pamphlets are available online, at Seattle and King County libraries, and at the Elections office in Renton.

You can vote and return your ballot as soon as you receive it. Ballots can be returned through the Postal Service, which requires a first class stamp, or they may be returned to any of the 12 ballot drop boxes open for this election. Ballots must be postmarked by Aug. 7 or returned to a ballot drop box by 8 p.m. on that day.

For the first time, the county will use ballot drop-off vans as temporary drop-off locations for the primary and general elections. The locations include Kirkland City Hall, West Seattle Stadium and the University of Washington. A staffed van will be at each of three locations from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. the Friday, Saturday and Monday before each Election Day, and from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. on Election Day. Ballots can also be returned to accessible voting centers during their business hours.

To ensure that voters with disabilities are able to cast a private and independent ballot, the county offers accessible voting centers. A newly expanded accessible voting center at King County Elections opens on July 20; other locations will open Aug. 3, including two new centers at North Seattle Community College and Green River Community College in Auburn.

Tips for voting:

• Read the entire ballot top to bottom, and front to back before voting

• Read the voters’ pamphlet

• Use a black ink pen to fill out the ballot

• Tear the stub off of the top of the ballot

• Sign the voter declaration on the back of the envelope using your official signature

• Return your ballot early so that it is part of the Election Night results report and there is enough time to correct any issues that may be associated with your signature

King County residents not currently registered to vote in Washington can register in person at the King County Elections office or the Voter Registration Annex through 4:30 p.m. on Monday, July 30.

For more information, visit the Elections website at www.kingcounty.gov/elections or call 206-296-VOTE (8683).