What are the rules for provisional ballots?

In Washington state, provisional ballots are used to ensure that every eligible voter has the opportunity to cast their vote. Provisional ballots allow voters to cast their vote even if they don’t show up on the voter registration list in the county of election. When a voter goes to the polls to cast their ballot, if the county election office can’t verify that they are registered to vote in that county, they will be allowed to cast a provisional ballot. This ballot will not be counted until after the county election office has verified that the voter is eligible to vote in the county. In order for a provisional ballot to be counted, the voter must be a registered voter in the county of election, the name and address provided by the voter must match the name and address on the voter registration list in the county of election, the signature provided by the voter must match the signature on the voter registration list in the county of election, and the voter must have provided valid identification to the election officer at the time of voting. If all of these criteria are met, the provisional ballot will be counted. If not, it will be rejected and not included in the final tally. It’s important to note that it may take several days for provisional ballots to be verified, so it’s important for voters to check their status with the county election office to make sure their vote was included in the final count.

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What are the rules for provisional ballots?

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