Spokane reports historic ballot returns ahead of 2020 election

SPOKANE, Wash. — Spokane County, along with the rest of Washington State, is reporting record breaking ballot returns ahead of the 2020 general election. The county reports that over 37% of Spokane voters have returned their ballots. That is 127,499 returned ballots out of 358,530 registered voters, as of 10/21/2020. 

Spokane County Auditor Vicky Dalton credits the large rise in returned ballots to the high levels of public interest that this election is bringing. "In the 6 elections I've worked, I've never seen anything like this. People are anxious to get involved but also want to make sure that their vote counts." 

Dalton did clarify that a direct comparison between 2020 and 2016 ballot statistics couldn't be made due to the fact that Spokane sent out ballots one week earlier this year compared to previous elections. "Regardless of what week the ballots were sent out, the numbers we are seeing in Spokane are still eye opening" added Dalton.

However, with a rise in ballot returns, also comes a rise in ballots being returned incorrectly. "We want to make sure people are returning their ballots properly. This means making sure your ballot is returned in the proper envelope with your name, oath, and signature clearly on it" said Dalton.

Spokane is seeing a handful of ballots being returned incorrectly, and the county urges you to call their office if you believe you have submitted your ballot incorrectly. For full information on submitting your ballot correctly, you can watch this helpful video or visit the website for more information. 

Spokane isn't the only county seeing a swell in returned ballots, as Washington statewide ballot numbers have reached 848,365 ballots returned out of 4,821,903 registered voters. This is nearly triple the amount of active voters and ballots returned in 2020 compared to this time in 2016. 

Authorities are advising voters to submit their ballots as far in advance as possible to make the process easier. Experts predict that this election will continue to bring in record breaking ballot numbers as Nov. 3 approaches.