Ballots due in mail today

Glitch causes hiccup in Washington polling

Tue., Nov. 8, 2011

By Jim Camden jimc@spokesman.com (509) 879-7461

Today is Election Day in Idaho and the deadline for returning ballots in Washington.

Washington sent out ballots by mail more than two weeks ago, and voters can mark their ballots, seal them in the proper envelopes, sign the outer envelope and either deposit them in a designated drop box or mail them back. But mailed envelopes must be postmarked by 8 p.m., so voters should take them to a post office to be sure they meet that deadline.

The secretary of state’s office announced Monday that as many as 21,000 Washington voters who registered or updated their addresses on a state Department of Licensing website might not have received ballots at the current address because of computer problems.

Voters who used the Licensing website and think they should have received a ballot but didn’t or received a ballot for the wrong address should go to their county elections office or a Voter Service Center and cast a provisional ballot by 8 p.m. today.

Voter Service Centers can also provide replacements for ballots that have been lost or damaged. In Spokane, service centers are at the county elections office, 1033 W. Gardner Ave.; the STA Plaza in downtown Spokane; the North Spokane Library, 44 E. Hawthorne Road; St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, 316 E. 24th Ave.; CenterPlace in the Spokane Valley, 2426 N. Discovery Place; and the Cheney Public Library, 610 First St.

Polls are open in Idaho from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and state law requires voters show valid photo identification. Any U.S. citizen who is at least 18 and has lived in Idaho for at least 30 days but hasn’t yet registered in the state can register and vote at their polling station if they bring proof of residence for that period and a photo ID. To determine the correct polling station, call the county elections office.

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