Security and Access Go Together
The League believes elections should be both secure and accessible. Voters should never be forced to choose between confidence in election administration and confidence in their ability to participate.

Election Security in Washington

• Washington state elections are safe, secure, and accessible. There is no evidence to date that widespread fraud exists in Washington state or that it has ever impacted election outcomes.

• Election officials already have tools and processes in place to investigate citizenship status when or if concerns arise.  

• Non-citizen voting is extremely rare, according to repeated investigations and academic studies.  As Secretary of State Hobbs recently said: “Incidents of voter fraud are incredibly rare. In Washington state, there were just five cases between 2008 and 2025, out of 90 million ballots cast during that time.” (Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs responds to Homeland Security’s ‘voter fraud investigation surge | The Journal of the San Juan Islands)

Voting Information

Returning your ballot
Please remember to vote by Nov. 3. You can deposit your ballot in any of the official ballot drop boxes located throughout the state.

Mailed ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 3 to be counted. If you need to mail your ballot, do so before Oct. 27. Earlier is best. After Oct. 27, we recommend you hand it directly to a postal clerk and request a postmark at the counter.

You may also return your ballot in person at any county Auditor’s Office.

When in doubt, always use a drop box. A complete list of drop box locations is included in your voters’ pamphlet or at VoteWA.gov.

Voters can find information about candidates for state and federal offices by visiting Vote411.org or watching candidate debates and forums hosted by League's across the state.

Find up-to-date information for federal impacts on Washington state elections from the WA Secretary of State's office.

Ballot Status
Washingtonians can get updates about the status of their ballots each election. Voters can check their ballot status at VoteWA.gov or sign up for ballot updates via text message:

• Text "VOTE" to 868392
• Update your voter registration 
• Check with your local election's office 

Challenged Ballots
The most common reason ballots are challenged is because the signature on the ballot doesn't match the signature on file for the voter. When a ballot is challenged, voters will be contacted by their local elections office with instructions on how to 'cure' their ballot. Ballots that are 'cured' will be counted. Most ballots that need 'curing' are from voters younger than 35 because they have less consistent signatures. 

Be sure to include your contact information on your ballot — it ensures your county election's office can reach you in the event there is a problem with your ballot and speeds up the 'curing' process.

Tips to make sure your signature passes the check and your ballot gets counted:

• Your signature needs to match what is on file for you, it doesn't have to be written in cursive, nicely, or even legibly. If you have a "chicken scratch" signature, that's okay!
  
  
• If you registered online your signature comes from the Dept. of Licensing — so your signature should match what is on your driver's license.
  
  
  
• If you are unsure of what the signature on file for you looks like, or it's been a while and your signature has changed, update your signature by sending a paper voter registration form to your election's office. Download a paper registration form and return to your local election's office. 

Election Integrity
There are many resources on election integrity:

• Center for Inclusive Democracy
  https://cid.usc.edu/

• Civic Engagement Program and Elections (Washington Office of the Secretary of State)
  https://www.sos.wa.gov/statewide-programs/civic-engagement-program

• Noncitizen Voting Is Already Illegal — and Vanishingly Rare
  https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/noncitizen-voting-alreadyillegal-and-vanishingly-rare

• Rumor Has It… (Washington Office of the Secretary of State)
  https://www.sos.wa.gov/elections/rumor-has-it

• Shedding Light on the Incidence of Illegal Noncitizen Voting (Cato Institute)
  https://www.cato.org/blog/shedding-light-incidence-illegal-noncitizen-voting
  
  
• FAQ: Everything You Need to Know About Voting in 2026 (Washington Voting Rights Coalition)
  https://wavotingjustice.org/voter-suppression/