On this day before Election Day, Spokane County’s elections office is opening a new voter service center at the Arena.
“Our voter service centers are for assisting voters who need specific services, like registering to vote or replacement ballots, replacement envelopes," said Spokane County Auditor Vicky Dalton. The Arena will serve as a replacement center for the county elections office, which is closed to the public for next few days as elections workers ready ballots for counting on Election Night.
Dalton says the Arena center will also have a single machine for voters with sight or mobility impairments, who can’t fill out a regular ballot. She says it is not a traditional polling site with polling booths where people come to cast their ballots.
There’s also a voter service center at CenterPlace in Spokane Valley.
Ballots must be returned by 8 pm Tuesday. After that, Dalton says her poll workers will be busy the next few days processing ballots from drop boxes and the mail.
“It’ll actually be Thursday when we get the last big stack, as in trays. Then Friday we’re probably going to get a tray which is up to 300. What will really be the big thing after the election week will be just getting the letters in from voters who have had to cure one of their signature problems," Dalton said.
Those voters will have until November 23 to get the technical problems with their ballot solved in order to have it counted. Dalton says the election will be certified on November 24.