Kevin Duncan puts his ballot in the ballot drop box outside of the Arlington Library on Feb. 11, in Arlington. (Olivia Vanni / Herald file photo)

Kevin Duncan puts his ballot in the ballot drop box outside of the Arlington Library on Feb. 11, in Arlington. (Olivia Vanni / Herald file photo)

Commentary: Get your ballots in early by mail or drop box

To make sure your ballot is counted and your voice heard get your ballot in; the earlier, the better.

By Garth Fell / For The Herald

Vote your Nov. 3 Presidential Election ballot today. That’s right, today!

Snohomish County voters have been safely voting by mail for the last 15 years. Every registered voter is sent a ballot to vote and return. Voting by mail allows you to cast your ballot well before Election Day; no need to wait.

So why am I encouraging you to vote today?

Presidential elections see our highest voter participation rates and we expect record turnout this year. In fact, we have already seen a record number of voters return their ballot early.

Voting and returning your ballot early benefits you, our elections workers and our community.

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

Each election there are ballots that can’t be counted because they are returned too late to be accepted or because voters forget to sign the outside envelope. Voting early makes sure your ballot is received on-time and allows us to work with you to resolve any issues before it’s too late.

We also know that voters who wait to register and vote will wait in longer lines around more people. During the covid-19 pandemic, voting early keeps you and our elections workers safe by reducing the number of people congregating at the last minute to register to vote, to return their ballot or to resolve an issue.

When you return your ballot early, your votes are included in Election Night results. Strong Election Night results can give us a good indication of likely winners. If you want your votes to be part of the Election Night results, you must vote early, before Election Day.

I have heard people say they plan to vote at one of our limited number of in-person sites because they beleive it’s more secure. This is not true.

Our in-person sites are meant for voters with disabilities and voters that have a last-minute issue that cannot be handled over the phone or online. Showing up in-person when you can vote using the mail ballot you have been sent puts yourself, our staff and the people that need in-person service at an increased risk during this pandemic.

If you show up in-person to vote, the ballot we give you is a mail ballot; envelopes and all. You will be required to take the ballot outside of the in-person site where you can vote and return it to a drop box or through the mail. The “in-person” ballot is processed the same way as the ballot you have already received in the mail; no more or no less secure.

Your mail ballot can be returned through a U.S. postal box or a ballot drop box. Both options are safe and neither option requires postage.

If you use a postal box, the U.S. Postal Service recommends mailing your ballot at least one week before the election. If you can’t mail your ballot back early, then make sure you check the last pick-up time on the blue postal box to ensure your ballot is postmarked on or before Election Day, Nov. 3.

If you choose to return you ballot to a ballot drop box, you have 30 drop boxes to choose from that are located throughout Snohomish County. The boxes close promptly at 8 p.m. on Election Night.

And it’s not too late to register to vote either. If you are not registered, you can register online at VoteWA.gov through Monday, Oct. 26 and still get a ballot sent to you in the mail. After Monday, you have in-person options to register and vote. But again, act today.

Need more information about the candidates or issues? Grab your voters’ pamphlet or go to VoteWA.gov to view a personalized guide with just the races and issues on your ballot.

The 2020 Presidential Election is important, and your vote matters. Your vote will help determine our next leaders and the direction of our country, our state and our Snohomish County community. Make sure your voice is heard.

Don’t delay; vote and return your ballot today!

Garth Fell was elected as Snohomish County Auditor in 2019 and previously served as the county’s election manager for 12 years.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Opinion

June 11, 2025: Tear Gaslighting
Editorial cartoons for Thursday, June 12

A sketchy look at the news of the day.… Continue reading

In a gathering similar to many others across the nation on Presidents Day, hundreds lined Broadway with their signs and chants to protest the Trump administration Monday evening in Everett. (Aaron Kennedy / Daily Herald)
Editorial: Let’s remember the ‘peaceably’ part of First Amendment

Most of us understand the responsibilities of free speech; here’s how we remind President Trump.

Will public get a vote on downtown Everett stadium?

I see The Herald is enthusiastic about the push to build a… Continue reading

How are Trump’s actions the ‘will of the people’?

Calling up the National Guard is usually done in concert with a… Continue reading

Call constitutional convention for balanced budget amendment

Congress has not managed the federal purse well. We have been running… Continue reading

Comment: So much for RFK Jr.’s pledge of ‘choice’ on vaccines

His latest action confirms his intention to delist specific vaccines, making them less affordable.

Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer testifies during a budget hearing before a House Appropriations subcommittee on Capitol Hill in Washington on Thursday, May 15, 2025. (Al Drago/The New York Times)
Editorial: Ending Job Corps a short-sighted move by White House

If it’s jobs the Trump administration hopes to bring back to the U.S., it will need workers to fill them.

A rendering of possible configuration for a new multi-purpose stadium in downtown Everett. (DLR Group)
Editorial: Latest ballpark figures drive hope for new stadium

A lower estimate for the project should help persuade city officials to move ahead with plans.

A rendering of the new vessels to be built for Washington State Ferries. (Washington State Ferries)
Editorial: Local shipyard should get shot to build state ferries

If allowed to build at least two ferries, Nichols Brothers can show the value building here offers.

THis is an editorial cartoon by Michael de Adder . Michael de Adder was born in Moncton, New Brunswick. He studied art at Mount Allison University where he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in drawing and painting. He began his career working for The Coast, a Halifax-based alternative weekly, drawing a popular comic strip called Walterworld which lampooned the then-current mayor of Halifax, Walter Fitzgerald. This led to freelance jobs at The Chronicle-Herald and The Hill Times in Ottawa, Ontario.

 

After freelancing for a few years, de Adder landed his first full time cartooning job at the Halifax Daily News. After the Daily News folded in 2008, he became the full-time freelance cartoonist at New Brunswick Publishing. He was let go for political views expressed through his work including a cartoon depicting U.S. President Donald Trump’s border policies. He now freelances for the Halifax Chronicle Herald, the Toronto Star, Ottawa Hill Times and Counterpoint in the USA. He has over a million readers per day and is considered the most read cartoonist in Canada.

 

Michael de Adder has won numerous awards for his work, including seven Atlantic Journalism Awards plus a Gold Innovation Award for news animation in 2008. He won the Association of Editorial Cartoonists' 2002 Golden Spike Award for best editorial cartoon spiked by an editor and the Association of Canadian Cartoonists 2014 Townsend Award. The National Cartoonists Society for the Reuben Award has shortlisted him in the Editorial Cartooning category. He is a past president of the Association of Canadian Editorial Cartoonists and spent 10 years on the board of the Cartoonists Rights Network.
Editorial cartoons for Wednesday, June 11

A sketchy look at the news of the day.… Continue reading

Marcus Tageant (Courtesy of City of Lake Stevens)
Welch: Marcus Tageant embodied the spirit of Lake Stevens

I served with Marcus on the city council, witnessing an infectious devotion to his community.

Comment: Anti-‘woke’ crusades by Hegseth, Rubio petty, dangerous

Focused on renaming ships and scrubbing websites, the department heads risk their distraction.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.