By Marianne Lincoln

Today I updated my voter registration using the new online system called MyVote. This system is available through the Secretary of State’s office website. As a computer savvy individual, I expected it to go smoothly. It did, but not quite. For any of you who have a street address and use a different mailing address, such as a post office box, there is one little trick.

You enter the system with your name and birth date. The system locations your current registration data. There are round buttons (called radio buttons) to select which address you wish to update. When you select the address, the computer expands the data into input boxes. Here’s the important part for you with a PO Box. You must also select and retype the PO Box data even if it does NOT change. Otherwise the system will default to using  your street address as  your mailing address. after making the changes and choosing continue, the system will ask if  you have special early voting needs, such as being a soldier overseas. When you continue, you will have a chance to review the changes. This is where I noticed that the system had moved my mailing address to the residence and I had to go back and re-edit. If this page looks correct, then you can choose submit and you will be updated.

You can go back to MyVote in 24 to 48 hours and make sure the changes were updated. If  your address or phone number has changed, you have until Monday October 8 to go online and update the system. Otherwise your ballot will go to your old address.

Online you can find the state’s Voter’s Guide with all the state and federal level candidates. You can start reading the details of the initiatives on the ballot now. You will need to contact your individual county to get data on local candidates. The Secretary of State’s office also has a special learning  program, a Mock Election for students which includes a teacher’s guide.

As of September 26, 2012 there are 3,787,447 voters in the state of Washington. That means if absolutely everyone voted the winner in a state-wide election like Governor would have to get 1,893,724 votes to win. (Yes, that was a piece of wonky information.)

Here is more information about upcoming general election deadlines and some special data for those who need to have their addresses kept confidential. There is a special program for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking. There is also more information for those with special accessibility needs. This is quoted from the Secretary of State’s website.

October 6  Deadline for mail-in voter registrations and updates ​

October 8  Deadline for online registration and updates (Columbus Day, Post offices are closed)

October 19  Start of 18-day voting period (through Election Day). Ballots are mailed out and Accessible Voting Units (AVUs) are available at voting centers.​ 

October 19 Final Day to file for the General Election as a write in candidate

October 29  Deadline for in-person new Washington State voter registration, not currently registered in the state

November 6  General Election 

Washington Secretary of State · Elections Division
520 Union Ave SE
PO Box 40229, Olympia WA 98504-0229
(360) 902-4180

Email: mail@sos.wa.gov

ADDRESS CONFIDENTIALITY
A program for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking.

Mail: PO BOX 257
Olympia, WA 98507-0257

Email: acp@sos.wa.gov

Telephone (800) 822-1065    (Washington only) (360) 753-2972  

Information on Accessibility at the Washington Secretary of State Web Sites
The Washington Secretary of State is committed to providing access to our Web pages for individuals with disabilities.

We do this primarily by complying with the Priority 1 of the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. Our goal is that individuals with disabilities have access to and use of information and data that is comparable to those without disabilities. We strive to meet this goal except when comparable access would result in undue burden on the Agency.

If you use assistive technology (such as a Braille reader, a screen reader, TTY, etc.) and cannot access information due to the format of the material, please contact us. We can be reached via e-mail at webmaster@sos.wa.gov, by telephoning the phone number (or by writing to the address) that appears at the bottom of every web page.

To enable us to respond in a manner most helpful to you, please indicate the nature of your accessibility problem, the preferred format in which to receive the material, the web address of the requested material, and your contact information.