The Lewis County Auditor’s Office’s Elections Department will mail 59,118 ballots on Wednesday, July 15, to all active registered voters within Lewis County ahead of the Aug. 4 primary election.
There were 612 military and overseas ballots mailed on June 18, according to a news release from the auditor’s office.
Voters should be aware that the ballot envelope color has changed. To better distinguish ballots between counties, the envelope will be dark green.
Ballots should begin arriving in mailboxes the week of July 20 to July 24. The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) says it can take up to seven to 10 days for delivery. If ballot packets have not been received 10 days after the mailing date, voters can receive a replacement ballot by any of the following methods:
• Call the elections department at 360-740-1278 or toll free within Lewis County at 1-800-562-6130, ext. 1278;
• Appear in person between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, or between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. on election day;
• Go online to www.votewa.gov, enter voter information and select “Your Ballot & Voting Materials.” The ballot can be marked online and printed or printed and then marked by hand.
The declaration that prints along with the ballot must be signed and returned with the ballot. The ballot envelope must be postmarked by election day or in a ballot drop box by 8 p.m. on election day.
If an individual has moved, they may contact auditor’s office to update their voter registration. If there is a forwarding order in place with the U.S. Postal Service, the ballot packet will be forwarded but may take more time going through the forwarding process, according to the release. If no forward order is in place and the ballot is returned as undeliverable, the voter will then be placed on inactive status and no other ballot will be mailed until the voter contacts this office with an address update.
Voted ballots must be postmarked on or before Aug. 4.
The U.S. Postal Service advises that voters should mail ballots at least one week prior to the election to account for any unforeseen events or weather issues to ensure the envelope will be post-marked in time. Ballot envelopes returned with a postal cancellation date after election day will be invalid.
If the ballot is not mailed until election day, the voter is advised to take the ballot to a postal clerk and have them stamp the envelope with a cancellation stamp. If the ballot is placed in a USPS mailbox after the last pickup time, the ballot will not be postmarked in time and will not be counted.
In lieu of mailing, voters are encouraged to deposit their ballots early into any ballot drop box to ensure the ballot is counted. Drop box locations are open 18 days prior to every election. Ballot drop box locations and additional election information can be found online at https://elections.lewiscountywa.gov.
