Lewis County Auditor's Office: General election ballots to be mailed Wednesday, Oct. 16

Ahead of the general election, the Lewis County Auditor’s Office will mail 55,475 ballots to registered voters on Wednesday, Oct. 16.

Ballots can take up to 10 days to arrive. Registered voters should begin to see their ballots the week of Oct. 21 to Oct. 25. If a voter hasn’t received their ballot after 10 days, the auditor’s office recommends visiting votewa.gov and selecting “my ballot,” calling 360-740-1278 or visiting 351 NW North St., Chehalis. If a registered voter has moved, they can update their registration with either of the options.

Completed ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 5, and the United States Postal Service advises voters should mail their ballot one week before the election. Voters can also submit their ballot in any ballot dropbox, which opens 20 days before the election.

If the ballot is mailed on election day, the auditor’s office recommends voters take the ballot to a postal clerk and have them stamp the envelope with a cancellation stamp.

For more election information and to find a ballot drop box, go to elections.lewiscountywa.gov.

The auditor’s office previously mailed 592 military and overseas ballots on Sept. 20.

“The advanced mailing provides voters in the military or overseas with time to receive their ballot, learn about the candidates and/or issues, and return their ballot in a timely manner,” the Lewis County Auditor’s Office previously stated in a news release.

For military and overseas voters, the date on the ballot declaration associated with the voter’s signature determines the validity of the ballot. The signature on the ballot declaration must be dated no later than election day and must be received in Lewis County Auditor’s Office one day prior to election certification.

The general election includes state initiatives, state lawmakers, Lewis County commissioners, Lewis County Public Utility District commissioner and a new sales tax to fund Lewis County 911 Communications, among other measures and races.

Learn more at https://elections.lewiscountywa.gov/ .