With a presidential election that will make history no matter who wins, and a rematch of the closest gubernatorial race in history, Tuesday night’s election returns figure to be the most closely watched in memory.
Yet it’s likely that we’ll all go to bed that night without knowing the winners in several races, and the uncertainty could last for a week or longer. (Or, remembering the 2004 gubernatorial fiasco, much longer.) That’s because in Washington, where all but two counties are now vote-by-mail, ballots will continue to trickle in to county election offices well after Election Day.
In today’s Internet-fueled, gotta-have-it-now information age, that makes plenty of people crazy. Calls are being renewed for a change in Washington law to require ballots actually be received by elections offices by Election Day, rather than simply being postmarked by then. We support such a change, as long as it comes along with state money so counties can implement it effectively.
Having all ballots in hand on Election Day doesn’t mean every race will be decided that night. County auditors caution that there may be too many votes to count in a single night. But it will speed final results.
Secretary of State Sam Reed, the state’s top election official, supports the change because he thinks it will build greater public trust and confidence in the system. We agree. The longer it takes to count votes, the more voters are likely to suspect something could go awry.
But the idea is not without potential problems. Carolyn Weikel, Snohomish County’s very capable auditor, worries that the uncertain timing of mail delivery could keep many ballots from being counted. She’s also concerned about costs, noting that campaigns to educate voters about such a significant change would be needed for several election cycles. And while setting up additional community drop-off centers for voters could help ensure ballots are received on time, doing so costs money — something counties aren’t exactly rolling in.
Concerns that ballots from voters overseas, including those serving in the military, couldn’t be returned in time seem to have been overcome in the 21 states that already require mail ballots be received by Election Day.
This proposal has been blocked before in the Legislature, most recently in 2005. Soon, the entire state will be voting by mail. The issue deserves a fresh look, along with state funding for it. Voters and candidates — including newly elected officials who need to start preparing for their new job — shouldn’t have to wait more than a day or two to find out who won.
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