What You Need to Know: Vote early, use a drop box

You may be hearing news about recent federal court cases, executive orders, and proposed voting laws. We want to reassure you: none of these actions change how you vote in Thurston County. 

Our elections remain completely secure, and your voting process is the same. 

You do not need to show new proof of citizenship to vote, and our state laws for counting ballots remain unchanged. 

If you are registered to vote, you will receive a ballot for the August Primary and November General. We will be taking an extra precaution and mailing you your General Election ballot a week earlier this year. 

To make sure your voice is heard without any stress, please keep these four key local updates in mind for the upcoming election: 

• We are mailing General Election ballots early. We will mail your general election ballot on October 8. We are doing this due to postal delivery delays to give you a few extra days to review, vote, and return your ballot. 

• Use a ballot drop box, not the mail. Due to current postal service processing delays, a ballot dropped in a regular mailbox can take days to get an official postmark. Skip the post office entirely and use one of the 31 secure ballot drop boxes located across Thurston County. 

• Any ballot drop box in the state works. If you are traveling or commuting, you can drop your ballot into any official election drop box anywhere in Washington state. It will safely find its way to our office and be counted on time. 

• Track your ballot. For peace of mind, you can text "VOTE" to 868392 to receive automatic text updates on the status of your ballot from the moment you drop it in a box to the moment we accept it. 

To cut through the noise, here is exactly where those widely reported federal actions stand right now: 

1. Ballot Counting Deadlines (Watson v. RNC) 

• The News: A major legal challenge sought to force states to discard any mail-in ballots that arrive after Election Day.  

• The Reality: On June 29, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that federal law does not interfere with state deadlines. This means Washington’s law stands: if you choose to mail your ballot, as long as it is postmarked on or before Election Day, it will be counted, even if it arrives at our office a few days later.  

2. Mail-In Delivery Restrictions (Executive Order 14399) 

• The News: A federal executive order attempted to restrict the U.S. Postal Service from delivering mail-in ballots unless voters matched specific federal citizenship lists.  

• The Reality: Federal courts have blocked this executive order. The USPS cannot withhold ballots, and Washington is not required to turn over its voter rolls to the federal government. You will receive your mail-in ballot exactly as usual.  

3. Voter ID and Registration Regulations (The SAVE America Act) 

• The News: This proposed federal bill would require documentary proof of citizenship (like a passport or birth certificate) to register to vote, and a photo ID to return a mail-in ballot. 

• The Reality: This bill has not passed the U.S. Senate and is not law. You do not need to take any action, and your current voter registration remains fully valid. 

We will continue to update of federal issues affecting elections and more information becomes available. Follow us on Facebook, Bluesky, Instagram, or Threads to receive updates.