Election Day 2021 In King County: When, Where To Vote

KING COUNTY, WA — Election Day arrives Tuesday in King County, bringing hundreds of thousands of voters one last chance to cast a ballot before the polls close. Dozens of ballot drop boxes and a handful of vote centers will remain open until 8 p.m.

In Washington, in-person voter registration is possible up to the last moment, and residents can register and fill out a ballot until polls close. Officials recommend last-minute voters seek out a drop box or a vote center over mailboxes to return ballots on Election Day, since ballots postmarked after Tuesday cannot be accepted.

The day before Election Day, just 22 percent of King County's 1.4 million registered voters had returned their ballots — less than half of the 46 percent voter turnout officials have projected. A few cities were trending a little higher on the curve, including Mercer Island (30%) and Seattle (27%). King County Elections said nearly 60 percent of voters return their ballots in the final few days of the election cycle.

Early turnout has also been vastly different by age group, with the county's oldest voters outpacing the youngest by more than tenfold.

Here are a few options to drop off your ballot on Election Day:

• Dozens of ballot drop boxes are located in cities across King County, and an updated map is available via King County Elections. All drop boxes close promptly at 8 p.m. on Nov. 2
• For residents who need to register to vote or require other assistance with their ballot, vote centers are open at Seattle's Lumen Field, Bellevue College, Election HQ in Renton, Kent and Kenmore City Halls and the Federal Way Performing Arts & Event Center. University of Washington students can also find assistance at the Husky Union Building in Seattle or inside UW Bothell's Activities and Recreation Center.
  • All vote centers are open from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day.
• More questions? Give King County Elections a call at 206-296-8683.

Here are some resources to learn more about what's on your ballot:

• Review a complete list of candidates and ballot measures in the general election.
• Track your ballot's progress online.
• Learn how to replace a lost ballot or envelope.
• Check which districts represent you.

Review some of Patch's candidate profiles for local races in your town:

Bellevue

• Candidate Profile: Ruth Lipscomb, Bellevue City Council, Pos. 4

King County Council

• Candidate Profile: Sarah Perry, King County Council, District 3
• Candidate Profile: Dave Upthegrove, King County Council, Pos. 5

Kirkland

• Candidate Profile: Penny Sweet For Kirkland Council, Pos. 3
• Candidate Profile: Matthew Goelzer For Kirkland Council, Pos. 3
• Candidate Profile: Neal Black For Kirkland Council, Pos. 5

Redmond

• Candidate Profile: Janet Richards For Redmond Council, Pos. 2

Renton

• Here's What To Know About Renton's Ballot Proposition 1

Sammamish

• Candidate Profile: Amy Lam For Sammamish City Council, Pos. 1
• Candidate Profile: Karen Moran For Sammamish City Council, Pos. 3
• Candidate Profile: Kali Clark For Sammamish City Council, Pos. 5
• Candidate Profile: Melanie Kelsey For Sammamish Council, Pos. 7