Nov. 8, 2004

Election officials to tally record number of provisional ballots

King County Election officials estimate a record 31,700 people voted provisional ballots at the polls last Tuesday. Those ballots are being validated and canvassed this week.

The number of provisional ballots includes ballots to be mailed to other counties and states but does not include the number of provisional ballots expected to be received by King County from other counties in the next nine days. Valid provisional ballots will be added to the ballot counts beginning later this week with final, certified results scheduled for Wednesday, Nov.17.

For more than three decades Washington has provided voters with this fail-safe voting method - a process adopted nationwide by Congress following the 2000 Presidential election.

"Election staff is hard at work canvassing Tuesday's election to ensure every ballot is accounted for," said Dean Logan, director of King County Records, Elections and Licensing Services. "Though the process can be painstakingly slow, it is imperative staff take the time to research these provisional ballots to ensure every eligible ballot is counted."

Provisional ballots are researched during the 15-day canvassing period leading up to the certification of the election. Once the voters' eligibility is determined, their ballot is counted and included in the certified results of the election. Only votes cast in contests for which the voter is eligible will be counted. Provisional ballots for voters in other counties are forwarded to their home county for verification and counting.

There are number of reasons why a voter may be issued a provisional ballot - the most common reasons include:

Absentee voters who either did not receive their ballot in the mail or who chose to vote at the polls instead;
Voters whose names do not appear in the poll book;
Voters registered in another county and unable to get to their polling location before the polls close; or
Voters who have moved and their voter registration have not been updated.

Voters who cast a provisional ballot are provided with a reference number that allows them to check on the status of their provisional ballot beginning today. This information is available at www.kingcounty.gov/elections or by phone at 206-296-VOTE.

In the 2000 Presidential election more than 78 percent of the 17,081 provisional ballots cast in King County were found to be valid and counted in the final returns. In the 2004 September primary, 90 percent of the provisional ballots were counted.

King County issued 646,537 absentee ballots of which 553,948, or 85.6 percent, have been returned. Of those ballots returned, 471,960 have been counted. Elections officials expect to count about 50,000 absentee ballots today.

The next ballot count will be issued today, Monday, Nov. 8 at 4 p.m. Visit your.kingcounty.gov/elections/2004nov/schedule.htm for King County Elections' report schedule.

Updated: Nov. 8, 2004

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