https://www.vote.org/state/washington/
If your vote wasn’t valuable, politicians wouldn’t be spending more than $11 billion on the 2026 mid-term elections to try to get you to vote for them.
If your vote didn’t matter, politicians wouldn’t be trying to convince us that elections are rigged so that we won’t bother to vote.
If your vote couldn’t hold elected officials accountable, politicians wouldn’t be working so hard to gerrymander and suppress the votes of people who would vote them out of office.
Justice Hugo Black said:
No right is more precious in a free country than that of having a voice in the election of those who make the laws under which, as good citizens, we must live. Other rights, even the most basic, are illusory if the right to vote is undermined.
— U.S. Supreme Court, Wesberry v. Sanders, 376 U.S. 1, 17 (1964)
We the people have the constitutional right to elect those who will represent us in government. Politicians don’t get to choose their own voters. Democracy doesn’t work that way.
In Washington State, it is easy to register and convenient to vote, and our system is both secure and reliable.
In 2020, I spoke with Benton County Auditor Brenda Chilton about our election process and election security. Here are a few voter security measures Washington has in place:
- Ballots are mailed to each registered voter automatically.
- Each ballot envelope has a unique code which can only be used once.
- Every ballot received is validated by a qualified group of people who compare the signature on the envelope before it is opened for counting.
- Questions about the validity of a ballot are resolved by a three-person County Canvassing Board.
- Once a ballot has been accepted, the system will not allow another ballot to be counted for the same voter.
- Tabulation systems are standalone and cannot be connected to the internet.
- Handling ballots at every step of the process requires at least two people present.
- The statewide voter registration system prevents a voter from voting in more than one county.
October 16: Ballots mailed out
October 26: Deadline for online and mail registrations
November 3: ELECTION DAY!
Deadline to register and vote in person
Deposit ballots in official drop box by 8pm
Here are some things to remember:
- Verify your voter registration early at votewa.gov. If you aren’t already registered, you can do so at the same website, or at vote.org/state/washington).
- Remember to sign your ballot. Take out your driver’s license and sign it the same way since that is likely the signature your ballot will be compared with.
- Include your phone number on the ballot. The auditor’s office will contact you by mail to try to resolve any problem with accepting your ballot. A phone number will make that process easier and faster.
- Returning your ballot in one of the many ballot drop boxes located around the county ensures it will go directly to the elections office (you can even drop it in a box in another county, and they’ll get it to the right place for you). You can also take your ballot directly to the elections office.
- If you are mailing your ballot, use a secure U.S. mailbox and mail it at least a week in advance. Leaving it for the mail carrier in an unsecure location like your home mailbox is not the most secure choice. Remember that locally, our mail goes to Spokane for processing, and mailed ballots must be received by election day.
- Check the status of your ballot at votewa.gov after you have voted and make sure it has been received and accepted. You have until the election is certified to resolve any issues with your ballot.
If you live outside Washington, make sure you know the process for registering and voting in your state and county. Get your information from official sources like your Secretary of State and don’t rely on campaign materials, social media posts, or media reports. Misinformation and intentional disinformation is intended to discourage you from voting. Stay informed and don’t disenfranchise yourself.
Every election is important, but the 2026 election may decide whether your vote will continue to matter.
Don’t waste the most precious right you have as a citizen.
Vote.
Ted Miller grew up around the world but now lives in Richland with his wife. He’s a runner, actor, singer, nuclear engineer, and graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy.
Ted believes that if more people worked toward love and understanding instead of giving in to fear and divisiveness, the world would be a better place.
