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State elections website helps voters track their ballots

Washington Secretary of State Kim Wyman talks to reporters in her office on Jan. 15, 2020, at the Capitol in Olympia. Wyman’s office operates the VoteWA.gov website, which allows Washington voters to check on the status of their ballots. (Ted S. Warren/Associated Press)

Washington’s state election website allows voters to keep track of their ballots to ensure they get counted.

But it does much more than that.

Voters can check the status of their ballots at VoteWA.gov. From there, they can type in their names and birthdays to find out if their ballots have been mailed by the county elections office, and, if so, if they have been returned and accepted.

Voters also can check to make sure they’re registered or registered to vote at the proper address.

If they’re not, they can register to vote or change their addresses online if they have the proper documentation.

The website, operated by the state Secretary of State’s office, pulls up a list of elected representatives who currently represent the area, including a member of Congress, county commissioners, city council members and school board members.

Beyond that, voters can get background on issues and candidates who will appear on their next ballots.

Once voters type in their names and birthdays, they’ll get a voter guide specific to their neighborhoods. Names of all the candidates who will appear on their ballots will be included, as will other information and background about candidates who choose to participate in the voter guide. If a proposition or initiative is on a voter’s ballot, the voter guide will include information about those as well as statements in favor and opposed, if citizens stepped forward to provide them.