SPOKANE COUNTY, Wash. — Election offices in Spokane County have challenged 286 ballots ahead of the midterm elections, and voters whose ballots were flagged now have until Nov. 23 to correct them.
With midterms less than a week away, thousands of ballots are moving through the verification process. The Washington Secretary of State’s Office says the two most common reasons for challenges statewide are a signature that does not match the voter’s record and a ballot submitted without a signature.
When a ballot arrives at an elections office, a machine checks its barcode and signature. Ballots flagged for errors are set aside and reviewed by a person. The county then mails the voter a letter asking for further verification.
Those letters include a cure form. Voters must fill out the form and return it by mail or drop it off in person. Once the form arrives, election officials check the information before counting the ballot.
County Auditor Vicky Dalton says flagged ballots are not unusual and that ballots get rejected in every election.
“Go through the process, the letter will explain everything you need to do, and that one you don’t have to worry about a postmark,” Dalton said.
Dalton said her office works to give every voter a chance to have their ballot counted.
“We try to rescue voters from themselves. So, no matter what a voter does, we try to make it possible for that ballot to be counted,” Dalton said.
Voters who want to confirm their ballot’s status can track it at VoteWA.gov.
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