Despite “challenges” with the state’s new voter registration system, Whitman County Auditor Sandy Jamison says recent upgrades have improved its reliability as citizens also see expanded registration access going into the Aug. 6 primary.
About 3,500 ballots went out in the mail Friday for the upcoming primary, Jamison said. Endicott has three-way races for mayor and town council Pos. 3. Farmington has two levy propositions for street maintenance and operations. The Colfax cemetery and the St. John cemetery also have maintenance levies on the ballot.
The new voter registration system, VoteWA, centralizes voter rolls in a single database and allows county election offices to compare registrations in realtime. The Seattle Times reported earlier this month that auditors across the state had struggled to transition to VoteWA amid system crashes, backlogs and missing information.
“It’s been a huge learning curve and a fast turnaround,” Jamison said, adding, “While the transition has been challenging, I’m feeling pretty good about it [now].”
Washington Secretary of State Kim Wyman has argued for pushing ahead with the new system to modernize the process and address cybersecurity concerns.
Though some counties reported thousands of backlogged or improperly transferred registrations, Jamison says her staff has had to manually override just a few dozen incorrect registrations. She praised her staff for their efforts to get trained on the new system and help troubleshoot any issues with the state.
“I’ve had my staff working overtime learning it,” she said. “I think we’re doing well. It’s been a challenge. I don’t think any county would say it hasn’t been a challenge.”
Jamison said her office has conducted mock testing of the registration system and received daily updates from the state. She said the relatively small August primary provides a chance to see how the system holds up before the General Election.
“From the voter perspective,” she said, “we’re hoping they’re only going to see positive changes.”
Citizens can register to vote online at VoteWA through July 29. You can also check the status of your registration to make sure the information is correct and up to date.
Jamison noted the state has introduced several other new changes to voting this year, including the ability to register in-person all the way through election day. Residents who want to register after July 29 must go to the Elections Office in Colfax.
“If people show up at 8 [p.m. on election day], we will register them and get them a ballot,” she said
The state also authorized prepaid postage for all ballots, so voters can drop them in the mail without a stamp in all elections (“Any mailbox is your ballot box,” Jamison said). The Colfax drop box behind the Elections Office will also be open for ballots until 8 p.m. Aug. 6.
Jamison said her staff will be available throughout the election period to answer questions or address any registration problems. Contact them here.
Her office also recently received a $5,200 grant for voter education and outreach. She has asked Pullman Mayor Glenn Johnson to record several radio spots, highlighting the changes to the registration process.
Ballots must be deposited in drop boxes or postmarked by 8 p.m. Aug. 6. Election officials recommend mailing ballots at least a couple days before election day, so they do not get invalidated by a late postmark.
“We’re getting more and more faith in this new system,” Jamison said. “I think we’re ready.”
View the Whitman County primary election guide. Read about what happens to your ballot after you send it here.