In the United States, the power to vote, however flawed, is an important right to utilize. As a democracy, it is a vital piece of the puzzle regarding how citizens can interact and participate not only in government but the policies that makeup day to day life. Today, it’s strange to imagine what the new normal will look like in one, two or even six months. Nevertheless, time is the one thing that never stops, and the 2020 elections are fast approaching on Nov. 3. As such, this is some information on how to register, vote and keep informed.

    No matter your age, every person at one point or another will have the opportunity to register to vote, and in Washington State, there are three different ways to make that happen. The first is through online registration. To do this, future voters can visit VoteWA or look on the online Washington Secretary of State Website. So long as citizens have a valid Washington State driver’s license, permit or identification, they’re able to fill out the form. This website is also useful if people want to double-check their registration or provide a change to their address, number or information. The main thing to remember is that online registration must be completed by Oct. 26 at the latest. 

    That same date is also the deadline for mail registrations. To fill out a mail registration, people can print out a voter registration form and mail it to their local elections offices or request a voter registration form to be sent to their home address. Some public offices, such as libraries, also have registration forms available. Oct. 26, however, is the deadline for mail registrations to be received. To mail the forms, every state has a variety of local election offices by county, and all their addresses should be included in the back or bottom of the forms. Chelan County has a local election office on 350 Orondo Ave. Ste. 306, Wenatchee. Since not everybody has a driver’s license or state ID, people can also use the last four digits of their social security numbers to register through mail. 

    Finally, in-person registration is also provided at most local elections offices up until 8 p.m. on election day. Voters can visit their election offices to change information on their registration forms or to ask any questions about the voting and registration processes. 

    These are the ways adults can sign up to vote, but what about people that haven’t met the voting age yet? Washington also provides pre-registration to all young voters over the age of 16. They can visit VoteWa, sign up with their information and drivers’ license and begin the registration process. This means that once they turn 18, they’ll automatically receive their ballots. However, it’s important to keep addresses updated if students are leaving for college or moving away. 

    Once people sign up to vote, the next step is actually casting the ballot, and in the state of Washington, this process is done mostly by mail. On Oct. 16, all registered voters receive a ballot and a secrecy envelope at their current address. Once this happens, the recommended resend time is at most one week (6-7 days) before election night. This is because the vote must arrive before Nov. 3. If that’s not a possibility, the state also has various drop boxes where voters can drop their ballots up until 8 p.m. on election day. In Wenatchee, there is a ballot drop box at 310 Douglas St. If for some reason the ballot doesn’t arrive by mail, or complications arise, voters should immediately contact their local elections office to track their ballot and check if all the information was correct.  Mistakes on a ballot or tardiness could discount the vote. If you are unable to vote by mail, there is also the option to vote in person. Citizens can go to their local election offices and vote that way instead.

    Even if people aren’t yet adults, anyone can talk to their parents, friends and siblings to make sure they have registered and voted. In 2016, 2.3 million people in the state of Washington didn’t vote. So knowing how the system works and how to navigate it can be an important tool in informing the public and encouraging people to vote and participate in the election process. 

Links to important registration and information websites:

• • Chelan County Elections: https://www.co.chelan.wa.us/elections 
  • Online Voting Registration: https://olvr.votewa.gov/ 
  • County Elections Departments in Washington State: https://www.sos.wa.gov/elections/auditors/?#
  • Register to Vote in Washington State: https://www.sos.wa.gov/elections/register.aspx
  • Washington Voting Registration Form (English): https://www.sos.wa.gov/_assets/elections/abvr/forms/english/vrf_english_web_a5.pdf
  • Access to Washington Registration Form (Multiple languages): https://www.sos.wa.gov/elections/print-voter-registration-forms.aspx 
  • Ballot DropBox address: https://www.sos.wa.gov/_assets/elections/ballot%20drop%20boxes%202019%20general%20election.pdf 
  • Washington State Dates and Deadlines 2020: https://www.sos.wa.gov/elections/dates-and-deadlines.aspx 
  • Future Voter: https://www.sos.wa.gov/elections/future-voter-program.aspx 

• Voters with Disabilities: https://www.sos.wa.gov/elections/voters/voters-with-disabilities.aspx 

• Chelan County Elections Office Contact Information:

           [email protected] /  (509) 667-6808