OK, thatâs a joke. Well, mostly a joke.
Election integrity experts tell me that in Washington State, we absolutely need to vote as soon as we get our ballots. Accepting that idea has been a big shift for me, as I was convinced otherwise in the last major election cycle.
During the 2022 election cycle, the prevailing opinion was that if we held our ballots and voted on Election Day, the âcheatersâ (whoever they are) wouldnât know how many fake ballots to produce to overcome our votes. After reviewing the information from election integrity experts who analyzed the results of the 2022 elections, itâs my opinion that the âVote on Election Dayâ hypothesis has been proven false.
What do we do when the data doesnât support our ideas? We try something different, rather than beating our heads against the wall.
Vote EARLY, as soon as possible.
Besides the fact that voting on Election Day DOES NOT win elections in Washington, what is another good reason to vote early?
Lost Ballots. Ballots get set aside, and during the three week voting window itâs VERY easy to lose them, misplace them, or throw them away. Iâve done that myself. Many people donât realize that voters can print a replacement ballot at home. Voters can also visit the auditorâs office to get a replacement ballot.
Instead, people feel foolish because they canât find the darn thing, and just donât bother to figure out how to vote without the original. Whatâs one vote? As we learned in the last local school board elections, one vote is the difference between winning and losing. Your ONE VOTE matters!
Open that ballot envelope up, and VOTE. Then deliver it into the system in your preferred way. I like taking it to the auditors office, or the local drop boxes.
One other very good reason to vote early: stop the political calls and mail. Yes, the campaigns can see which voters have returned their ballots. They also have a good understanding of your vote history. They will hound you for that precious ballot until they see you have turned it in. Once youâve voted theyâll stop calling you, mailing you or knocking on your door.
Track your ballot
According to the Secretary of State website, âDuring an election, track your ballot at VoteWA.gov. Ballot status will update as your ballot is received and processed.â
When you visit the Vote WA Voter Portal, you can update your information and track your ballot. The Ballot Tracker screen shows four stages: Ballot mailed, Ballot received, Ballot Reviewed and Processed, Ballot Accepted.
So if you return your ballot on the first weekend, and the Auditorâs office hasnât received it by the second weekend, then you still have time to make sure that somehow it didnât get lost in the mail. There are three weekends during the election period.
Before you return your ballot, check and make sure your ballot does not already show âreturnedâ. If you have the original ballot in your possession, thatâs definitely an error which the auditorâs office needs to correct. However, if you lost your ballot, and it shows returned, youâll have to go in to the auditorâs office with your identification and get them to help you cancel the previous ballot and issue a new ballot for you.
Vote Often!
We laugh at the phrase âvote often,â because that would obviously be the wrong thing to do. However, we can effectively âvote oftenâ if we help our closest friends and family participate in the election.
Think about your immediate family and your best friends. That might be a group of five to 30 people. Make a list now, and call them over the next week to make sure theyâre aware that theyâre going to get a ballot for the presidential primary sometime around Friday, February 23âthe start of the 18 day presidential primary voting period.
The Presidential Primary is Coming
Help your family and friends to vote early. Plan a coffee, dinner or gathering for one of the first weekends of voting: the weekend of February 23 or March 1. Invite your family and friends to bring their ballots and join you to vote in person. Discuss the candidates and cast your ballots.
Help those who find the double envelopes confusing, and check and make sure everyone signs their ballots! Then, you might offer to deliver the ballots of those who donât trust the mail, or who donât want to drive to a ballot box. Show your family how to check their ballot status online to make sure they know how to do it.
Letâs put the fun back into voting by gathering together for in-person voting. Plan your event for the presidential primary today!
Nancy Churchill is a writer and activist in rural eastern Washington State, and the state committeewoman for the Ferry County Republican Party. She may be reached at DangerousRhetoric@pm.me. The opinions expressed in Dangerous Rhetoric are her own. Dangerous Rhetoric is available on thinkspot, Rumble and Substack.