Make ballots due, not postmarked, by Election Day

By Jason Mercier | For The Olympian • Published November 05, 2008

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Imagine the following scenario: It's the day after the election, and you open The Olympian to learn that the next governor won't be known for weeks.

Ridiculous?

In Washington, unfortunately, that is exactly what voters can expect for at least some of the state's election races.

Last year, supporters of the school levy constitutional amendment were staring at defeat the day after the election, but eventually absentee ballots showed the measure passed.

And who could forget the roller-coaster race for governor in 2004 that showed Dino Rossi in the lead over Chris Gregoire weeks after the election, though his lead was dwindling with each passing day and eventually was reversed in a second recount.

So why does Washington suffer a marathon election month while the rest of the nation can wake up the day after the election and move on? The culprit is not the state's shift to vote by mail; it is the way we conduct our elections.

Washington is one of only six states that counts "no-excuse" absentee ballots that arrive after Election Day. In most states, mail-in ballots must either be received by Election Day or must be dropped off before the polls close.

Washington, however, only requires that a ballot be postmarked by Election Day. This policy unnecessarily complicates the tabulation of votes and can leave the results of close races a mystery for weeks.

With the state now all vote by mail, with the exception of King and Pierce counties, it is time to require all ballots to be received on Election Day. This is exactly what Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Vermont, Wisconsin and Wyoming require. North Carolina goes a step further, requiring absentee ballots to be returned by 5 p.m. the day before the election.

Washington Secretary of State Sam Reed supports requiring mail-in ballots to be turned in by Election Day. Speaking on his behalf, election director Nick Handy told the Associated Press, "We believe it builds greater trust and confidence in the system."