Spokane County Elections Office to mail more than 340,000 ballots this week

The Spokane County Elections office will send out more than 340,000 ballots Thursday and Friday, which elections staff say is far more than usual.

Spokane County Auditor Vicky Dalton said the elections office will send out about 28,000 more ballots this week than it did in the 2016 election, and she anticipates an additional 3,000 to 5,000 more people will register over the next few weeks. In 2016 about 312,000 ballots were sent out.

“It’s going to be a record-breaking turnout,” she said.

She said ballots are also being sent out a week early to give people more time to vote or work out any issues that could interfere with their vote being counted. The elections office is also preparing for more people attempting to register, update information or verify their signatures.

Dalton said the elections office is renting the Spokane Veteran’s Memorial Arena the day before the election to provide space for questions, verifying signatures or other ballot issues and registering to vote. She said during the primary, the elections office was overwhelmed with last-minute voter issues, and she hopes the arena will provide enough room for the flood of people she expects will stop by just before or on Election Day.

Most people should receive their ballots in the next few weeks, and Dalton said voters who don’t receive a ballot by Oct. 19 should contact the Elections Office to check to see if there was an issue with their address or if something happened to their ballot.

She said people who need to change their address or any other voter information should do so as soon as possible to make sure they have done everything they need to vote. People can change their information online or register to vote online or by mail until Oct. 26. They can also register in person up until and on Election Day.

For more information, the elections office can be reached at 509-477-2320 or at elections@spokanecounty.org.

2020 General Election Hours for In-Person Registration and Replacement Ballots

Spokane County Elections Center located at 1033 W. Gardner Ave.:

The Spokane County Elections Center will be open to the public from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. from Monday to Friday until Oct. 30 and will also be open Oct. 31 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena, located at 771 W. Boone Ave.:

This Spokane County Elections Center location will be open starting Nov. 2 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will be open on Election Day from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Centerplace Regional Event Center Election Service Center at 2426 Discovery Place:

This elections service center will be open Monday to Friday starting Oct. 16 through Oct. 30, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. It will also be open on Oct. 31 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Nov. 1 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Nov. 2 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. It will be open on Election Day from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.