Political observers will have a physical presence in elections offices all over the country today [Tuesday], ensuring that ballots are counted properly. But you don’t have to be a political insider to get at least visual access to the count.
Several counties, including some in eastern Washington and northern Idaho, have cameras that allow you to watch the counting process at home.
If you’re an elections nerd, this is Nirvana.
You can go to the Okanogan County Elections Office’s YouTube channel and watch the livestream of employees doing their job. And if live isn’t enough, you can go back to previous days and watch past work being done, as much as eight-and-a-half hours’ worth, if you have the stomach for that.
Okanogan isn’t the only eastern Washington county that allows you to be an elections voyeur. Grant County has a live stream as well at its elections department website.
In north Idaho you can go to the Kootenai County website, where three cameras - three - give you different angles of people preparing ballots.
And in Bonner County, you can get a view of the ballot room and a conference room.
So, instead of watching talking heads on network TV on Election Night, grab some dinner, park yourself in front of your computer screen and watch the real work being done. If nothing else, it might help you get to sleep earlier than you would if you watch the tube.