Here’s what Spokane County election officials want you to know before November 5th

SPOKANE COUNTY, Wash. – Election officials are urging voters to skip the lines, parking woes, and headaches by casting their ballots as soon as possible.

As of now, approximately 1.7 million ballots have been returned in Washington, representing about 35.1% of total voters. In Spokane, around 59,000 ballots have been returned, accounting for roughly 40% of eligible voters.

Meanwhile in Idaho, Kootenai County is experiencing a 30% voter turnout.

Voters in Washington can visit VoteWA.gov and navigate to “Your Ballot & Voting Materials” to check the status of their ballots. Idaho voters can track their absentee ballots by going to VoteIdaho.gov.

In Spokane County, almost 1,200 ballots have been challenged as of October 30, meaning there are issues preventing their acceptance for processing.

Mike McLaughlin, Spokane County Elections Manager, explained that most challenges arise from signature discrepancies or unverified signatures on the ballot envelopes.

Mistakes such as spouses signing each other’s ballots are also common. Voters facing any issues with their signature or voter ID will be notified promptly via phone, text, or email.

For those who may delay turning in their ballots until Election Day and have a challenged ballot, there’s no need for concern.

All votes will still be counted, as the Elections Office has until November 25 to address any signature challenges.

McLaughlin emphasized the choice voters have, “It’s about whether you want your ballot counted on election night or in the days following.”

To assist voters, the Spokane County Elections Office has extended its hours and opened multiple voter service centers. Locations include the Eastern Washington University Catalyst Building, CenterPlace Regional Event Center in Spokane Valley, and the Spokane County Elections Office on Gardner.

For more details on hours and locations, voters can visit the Spokane County Elections website here.