Title: Washington’s successful vote-by-mail system wasn’t built overnight | Crosscut
Headings: Washington’s successful vote-by-mail system wasn’t built overnight
Washington’s successful vote-by-mail system wasn’t built overnight
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Content: Wise said King County is considering shift work in its huge ballot processing center in Renton, but will also encourage voters to turn in their ballots as fast as possible since the processing of more than a million votes will likely take longer with more shifts. While other states and Congress are considering a switch to vote-by-mail to make it safer for everyone to cast their vote, Wyman believes that the strongest reason for the switch may be access. Turnout data supports her conclusion. “It really empowers the voter to vote when it’s convenient for them,” she said. General election turnout has been consistently high in Washington state over the years, both before and after vote-by-mail was adopted. But the move to voting at home still seems to have improved that participation, especially among younger voters. Still, there’s both good and bad news in the data, depending on your perspective. Vote by mail seems to be attracting younger voters. In the 2018 midterm election, 50.6% of registered voters age 18 to 24 cast their ballots, compared with 41.3% of the youngest voters who participated in the 2010 midterm election during President Barack Obama’s first term. The latter involved ballots cast both in-person or by mail before vote-by-mail took effect in Washington.