SEATTLE — Ballots are officially on their way to voters for the Nov. 5 general election in Washington state.
Counties must mail ballots to voters by Oct. 18, which is when the 18-day voting period begins.
However, some county elections offices mailed their ballots even sooner. King County Elections sent out ballots to 1.4 million voters on Oct. 16. King County said voters should have their ballots by Oct. 21. If they haven't received their ballot in the mail by that date, they can call the elections office at 206-296-VOTE (8683).
Thurston County mailed its ballots even earlier on Oct. 10.
Ballots for overseas voters and voters in the military service are mailed up to 45 days before the election.
Voters pamphlets, which include candidate statements and for and against arguments for local measures and statewide initiatives, are typically mailed before ballots go out.
Washington has been a vote-by-mail state since 2011.
Registered voters do not need to request a ballot. Ballots are automatically mailed to the address the voter has registered.
Once you fill out your ballot, you can return it to a county elections drop box or drop it in the mail. Ballots do not need a stamp. Ballots must be postmarked or returned to a drop box by 8 p.m. on Election Day. However, if you're returning your ballot on Election Day, officials recommend taking it straight to a drop box to make sure it meets the deadline.
How to register to vote
If you haven't registered to vote, you can still do so online until Oct. 28. You can also register to voter in person at a county election center through Election Day.