How do I vote by mail in Washington? Everything you need to know

Washington residents will begin voting in the General Election starting on Oct. 18, but how can you track your mailed ballot and verify if it was counted?

Ballots were mailed by each county in Washington state on Friday – marking the beginning of the 18-day voting period ahead of election day on Nov. 5.

Keep reading to learn more about the vote-by-mail system, and how to check to see if your vote was actually counted.

How do I vote by mail in Washington?

According to the Washington Secretary of State's website, after a voter receives and marks their ballot, it should be placed in the provided secrecy sleeve or envelope. Voters must then insert the sleeve into a pre-paid postage return envelope, sign, and date it before mailing.

Ballots can be returned through the mail or at official ballot drop box locations, which officially close at 8 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 5.

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WA ballot drop boxes open. Here's what to know

Starting Oct. 18, nearly 5 million people in Washington state can begin voting in the General Election.

How do I check to see if my mail-in vote was counted in WA?

According to the Washington Secretary of State's website, once a voter mails in their ballot, they can track it online at votewa.gov. To access the voter portal, you must be registered to vote in Washington. If you are already a registered voter in Washington, you will automatically have an account on the votewa site.

Once you enter the voter registration and ballot management online portal, all you have to do is enter your first name, last name and date of birth. Names must match your voter registration.

Anyone who needs to update their registration information can do so online at votewa.gov, but must do so before the Oct. 28 deadline.

The status of your ballot will update as it is received and processed. Officials say it takes about three to five business days for your ballot to be posted and received. 

There are more than 4.9 million active voters in Washington state, as of Oct. 1, according to the Secretary of State.

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