Tuesday’s election in Washington is packed with big decisions for voters

Washington’s massive midterm election on Tuesday is nearly here.

Voters are weighing in on initiatives to repeal a statewide income tax on high earners and bar transgender girls from competing in girls sports in public schools.

They will fill five of the nine seats on the state Supreme Court, a rare opportunity to pick a majority of the bench that will soon consider changes to bail rules and could eventually decide the legality of that income tax.

In the Legislature, all 98 seats in the state House and 24 of 49 in the state Senate are up for election. Democrats hold large majorities in both chambers and voters’ decisions could further cement their control.

Washington’s 10 U.S. House seats are on ballots. A lot of eyes are trained on what happens in the 3rd Congressional District in the southwest corner of the state. That’s where two-term Democratic U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez is dueling with Republican state Sen. John Braun in a match-up that will help decide which party controls the U.S. House next year.

Meanwhile, residents of the 4th Congressional District in central Washington will be getting a new representative. Republican Amanda McKinney and Democrat John Duresky are competing to succeed Republican U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse, who is retiring after 12 years in office.

Voting ends at 8 p.m. Tuesday. By then, voters need to have put their ballots in a designated drop box, delivered them to an elections office or made sure they are postmarked no later than Nov. 3.

As of Monday afternoon, 1,834,247 ballots had been returned, 35.5% of the state’s registered voters. Statewide numbers will be updated around 5 p.m. Monday. Secretary of State Steve Hobbs said he expects final turnout will exceed 60%.

State and county election officers have urged voters to use one of Washington’s 601 designated drop boxes or cast their ballots in person at one of 64 voting centers. The message is being heard; 71.5% of ballots returned prior to the weekend arrived via a drop box.

Election officials are concerned that as a result of recent changes in its operations, the U.S. Postal Service can no longer guarantee ballots will be postmarked on the day they are put in a mail box. Roughly 20,000 ballots cast in the August primary did not get counted because they arrived too late.

Anyone thinking of mailing their ballot today or on Election Day should go into the post office and request a manual postmark at the counter, officials have said.

It’s not too late to participate. Washington allows same-day voting which means a person can go into an auditor’s office or a voting center, register and cast a ballot up until 8 p.m. Election Day. 

It’s also possible to get a replacement for a lost ballot, or obtain a ballot if you never received one.

Anyone standing in line to vote at 7:59 p.m. — or in a car waiting to use a drop box — will get to vote. Arrive after 8 p.m. you won’t.

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