Ballots are due by 8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3, and Everett voters have five official drop box locations, three statewide initiatives, five Snohomish County charter amendments and five city charter amendments to decide.

As we reported Nov. 2, the ballot is long. Here is what you need to return it on time and what is on it.

How to return your ballot

Drop boxes close at 8 p.m. Tuesday. They are the fastest way to get your ballot counted, according to a Snohomish County Elections press release published Oct. 27.

Snohomish County Auditor Garth Fell said in that release that voters should use an official drop box rather than mailing a ballot this close to Election Day.

Ballots returned by mail must be postmarked Nov. 3 or earlier. The county warned that recent changes to U.S. Postal Service mail processing may affect postmark timelines. Voters who must mail a ballot can visit a local post office and request a free, hand-stamped postmark from a postal clerk.

No stamp is needed for mailed ballots.

Everett drop box locations

Snohomish County has 38 official drop boxes open for this election. Five are in Everett:

  • Everett Courthouse Campus, Rockefeller Avenue and Wall Street
  • Everett Community College (near library), 1001 North Broadway — drive-up accessible
  • Everett Mall (near flooring store, follow signs), 1402 Southeast Everett Mall Way — drive-up accessible
  • Evergreen Branch Library (new this year), 9512 Evergreen Way — drive-up accessible
  • McCollum Park and Ride, 600 128th Street Southeast — drive-up accessible

All boxes are open 24 hours a day until 8 p.m. Tuesday.

In-person voter services

Voters who need to register, update a registration, get a replacement ballot or use accessible voting equipment can visit the Auditor's Office at 3000 Rockefeller Ave. in Everett. Hours on Election Day are 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., according to the county's Oct. 27 press release.

In-person services are also available at locations in Lynnwood, Monroe and Arlington. Addresses and hours are listed on the county's website.

For accessible service, voters can call Washington Relay at 1-800-833-6388 or 7-1-1 (TTY/TDD). Language assistance is available upon request.

Track your ballot

Voters can check whether their ballot has been received and accepted at VoteWA.gov and sign up for text alerts about signature issues.

What's on the ballot

The Nov. 3 General Election ballot includes races for U.S. Representative, state senator, state representative, four Washington Supreme Court justice seats, county prosecuting attorney, a Snohomish County Public Utility District (PUD) commissioner seat and judicial offices in four district courts, according to the county's Oct. 7 press release. Specific races vary by address.

U.S. House, 2nd Congressional District: Democratic Rep. Rick Larsen, who has held the seat since 2001, is seeking a 14th term. He faces Republican Edwin Feller, an 83-year-old first-time candidate from Lynden, as Fox 13 reported. The district covers all of Whatcom, Skagit, Island and San Juan counties and portions of western Snohomish County.

Three statewide initiatives are also on the ballot. Initiative 645 would repeal the state's 9.9% tax on annual personal income exceeding $1 million and ban future state and local personal income taxes. Initiative 001 addresses parental rights in public schools. Initiative 638 would prohibit students designated as biologically male from competing in female K-12 school athletic programs, as Fox 13 reported.

Five Snohomish County charter amendments would require prioritization of core government services, create budget stabilization funds, convert all county elected offices to nonpartisan status, expand public access to financial data and raise the threshold for new council-imposed taxes, the Lynnwood Times reported.

Five Everett city charter amendments cover residency requirements and a dual-office ban for council members, a reduction in required council meetings, Civil Service Commission updates, new petition signature thresholds for citizen initiatives and an option to post public notices online, the Snohomish County Tribune reported.

Results

Initial results are expected after 8 p.m. Tuesday. Snohomish County plans to certify results Nov. 24, and the state will certify by Dec. 3, the Daily Herald reported. Results will be posted on the county elections results page as they become available. No results had been posted as of publication.