Spokane libraries, county auditor’s office working to ensure voters have access to Aug. 4 election ballots

When Brianna Burtness had to evacuate her home in north Spokane on Sunday evening, she wasn’t sure she could find time in the chaos to return her ballot.

“I almost didn’t think I’d be able to vote,” Burtness said Monday as she dropped off her ballot at the county elections office. “It was just so much going on with the wildfires and everything.”

The Spokane County auditor’s office has provided options to Spokane residents impacted by wildfires or evacuations to help ensure their votes are counted in Tuesday’s primary election.

There will be no delays to ballot counting Tuesday evening, said Spokane County Auditor Vicky Dalton.

“We do not anticipate issues counting. My facility is operating just like it always does,” she said.

Voters unsure of their ballot’s status can check online at votewa.gov. Dalton said that if a ballot is not marked as received and the voter believes their ballot may have been impacted by the fires, they may want to submit a replacement ballot.

“Even if you’ve already marked a ballot and tried to send it in to us, it may not have gotten here,” depending on how it was sent in, Dalton said. Voters within evacuation zones who attempted to vote through the U.S. Postal Service during the fires may not have had their ballots collected.

Dalton said replacement ballot packets are available to pick up either in person or to print online until 8 p.m. on Election Day. The county elections office, 1033 W. Gardner Ave., will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday and 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday.

The voter service center, located at CenterPlace Regional Event Center, 2426 N. Discovery Place in Spokane Valley, will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday.

Voters can also print a new ballot online at votewa.gov. After signing in, registered voters can select “Your Ballot & Voting Materials,” then “Get a Replacement Ballot,” and print the packet. Dalton said some Spokane Public Library locations and all Spokane County Library District branches can assist voters with access and printing their ballots.

As of Monday morning, the Hillyard and Shadle Park Spokane Public Library branches were open but without Wi-Fi, meaning voters will be unable to print ballot packets at those locations. The Indian Trail Library is within evacuation zones and is closed. Voters can still print ballot packets at Central, Liberty Park and South Hill library branches.

Dalton said those who haven’t yet turned in their ballot or who need to return a replacement ballot should do so by using one of the 26 available ballot drop boxes across the county or delivering it to the post office to have it hand-stamped. To find the nearest drop box, visit spokanecounty.gov/187/Ballot-Drop-Box-Locations.

A 27th ballot drop box, located at Indian Trail library, is located inside of the evacuation zone and is unavailable, Dalton said.

“I am happy to report that the ballot drop box at Indian Trail Library is safe and no ballots were lost in that drop box,” Dalton said.

Election officials were able to retrieve the ballots deposited in the Indian Trail Library drop box. The box was locked because it is unlikely that election staff will be able to access it again before 8 p.m. on Election Day. None of the other 26 ballot drop boxes are within the evacuation zones.

Meanwhile in Stevens County, no ballot drop boxes have been “damaged, destroyed, or otherwise compromised” by the wildfires, according to a news release from the Stevens County Auditor Lori Larsen. Voters should not enter an evacuation zone to return their ballots.

The Suncrest/Nine Mile Falls ballot drop box at Fire District 1, Station 8 should be avoided because it’s located in a Level 2 evacuation zone, but ballots can be placed in any other drop box in the county. No further action is needed on ballots that were mailed or placed in drop boxes, the release said. Voters who evacuated without their ballot should print a replacement ballot at votewa.gov.

Libraries of Stevens County and Spokane County Library District locations can assist with printing ballots within the libraries’ regular hours.