SPOKANE COUNTY, Wash. – Now that the ballots have been cast in Washington’s primary elections, it’s time for the next steps in the process to getting election results.
The ballot processing system is very complex and strict. There are several stages and people making sure your ballot is processed correctly and securely.
There are even election observers as an added layer of integrity.
“My confidence has only gone up having watched in detail how they do it,” said democratic election observer Priscilla Ice.
Ice has volunteered for the past couple of years.
“I’ve really enjoyed watching all the stages they go through to do the count, to double check themselves, to make sure they don’t lose a ballot along the way,” she said. “They count and recount, double count and a third person checks it again.”
From signature verifying to sorting to processing the votes, there are election observers watching over every stage.
“I look for deviations. Everybody that actually works there are human. But I see they all have their checks and balances in place to see that the process is running smoothly through all the various stations,” said Brian Desautels, who has been an election observer for around four years.
The doors to the ballot processing room are locked and election observers are never left alone.
Outside of this room, election observers even monitor officials who come to pick up the ballots.
“I watch them take them out of the ballot box after eight o’clock, the seals they put on the bags, and all of that. I’m pretty comfortable with how it gets from where we put them in the ballot box to where it gets here and what it goes through,” said five-year election observer Robert Whiffen.
Whiffen said election observers do sometimes raise concerns. Those questions usually revolve around why a ballot might have been challenged. All three observers said their questions have always been answered.
If a ballot is challenged, election officials said it isn’t too late to make sure your vote still counts.
“Each of those voters will get a phone call if we have a phone number for them,” said Mike McLaughlin with the Spokane County Elections Office. “They’ll be texted if they signed up for texting and they will receive an email if we have an email. They will also be sent a letter within the next three days.”
McLaughlin said in order for your vote to still count, you will have to return the form sent to you by August 19 at 4 p.m.
All three observers agreed that they have never witnessed any type of concerning behavior at our local elections office.
McLaughlin said out of the votes that have been challenged in this election cycle, none of them have been instances of voter fraud. He said voter fraud is very uncommon but when it does happen, it is investigated through a prosecuting attorney.
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