Credit: Drew Angerer/Getty Images, bluebay/Shutterstock; Edited: JR/Truthout


– “Washington’s Election Success Flies Under the Radar”
“Washington has long been a leader in elections that is nationally recognized for its consistently high performance. As a mail-ballot state, Washington ensures that every registered voter gets a ballot that is easy and secure; the state also leads the country in cutting down wait times for voting, serving voters with disabilities, and accepting a high percentage of military and overseas ballots.

“These statistics are determined by the Elections Performance Index, an assessment overseen by MIT that analyzes election administration nationwide,” by South Sound Business.
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– “Want election results? On West Coast, patience is required”
“If control of the U.S. House comes down to any of the competitive congressional races in Washington state and California, the nation might have to wait days to learn the outcome.

“In both of those states, voters can put their ballots in the mail as late as Election Day, meaning the final votes do not typically reach election officials until several days later.”

“Washington is one of just three states that conduct all elections by mail, and it’s the only one of those three that allows ballots to be postmarked on Election Day. The system usually leaves about half of the vote outstanding at the end of the night, making it impossible to quickly determine the winner of close races,” by Rachel La Corte, AP.
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– UPDATE: October 17, 2018
“State officials brace voting systems against hacking”
“Election officials in Washington continue to bolster the state’s elections systems against cyber threats that could disrupt voting or cause citizens to lose faith in the results.

“The Seattle Times reports that sensors to detect suspicious activity have been installed in voting systems across Washington’s 39 counties, and officials have received extra security training,” by Associated Press.
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