Ballots Arriving In Yakima Mailboxes This Week

If you're a registered voter in Yakima County check your mailbox for your ballot. Yakima County Auditor Charles Ross says more than 127,000 ballots are arriving in mailboxes this week. Ross expects 50 to 55 percent to be returned to the auditors office on election day., November 8. Ross says that means that thousands of ballots paid for by Yakima taxpayers will simply be thrown away or recycled rather than being voted.

Ross says many people who get a ballot never vote

Ross says some people have no intention of voting in any election even though they're a registered voter. He says thousands of people are added to the voter rolls by simply going through the process of getting an ID or drivers license. The state's motor voter law is an opt out law. In other words people are automatically added to voter rolls if they qualify and meet all the standards. A person must opt out or tell the Department of Licensing that you don't want to be a registered voter.

Did you know people are automatically enrolled when getting an ID?

Ross says when people are automatically registered even though they have no intention of voting voter rolls grow while participation suffers and grows smaller every election season.
If you're a registered voter and you haven't received your ballot by Monday Ross says contact the Yakima County Auditors Office at 574-1340.

Drop boxes are located all around the county

Your ballot is due on election day November 8. You don't need a stamp to drop it in the mail. You can also drop you ballot drop boxes located throughout the county. For information on the location of drop boxes check the auditors website at https://www.yakimacounty.us/1136/Where-to-return-your-ballot-and-accessib
There's no deadline to register to vote. You can register today online at the secretary of states office https://www.sos.wa.gov/elections/register.aspx or at the Yakima County Auditors Office inside the Yakima County Courthouse.
If you go inside the Yakima County Courthouse be prepared to go through security screening.