“Make sure you get your ballots in on time. Don't wait till the last minute and double check that you've signed your ballot before you stick it in a box because it'll make the process so much easier.” 

Grant County Elections Coordinator Rebecca Pettingill  

EPHRATA — Today is the final day for residents to return their ballots for the 2026 General Election, and election officials are urging voters not to wait until the last minute. 

Grant County Elections Coordinator Rebecca Pettingill said ballot drop boxes remain the most reliable way to ensure ballots are received on time. 

“It is the one way to guarantee that we will get their ballot because there is no middleman, no chance for it getting lost,” Pettingill said. “It'll only be handled by election workers.” 

Ballot drop boxes will close at 8 p.m. sharp today, according to Pettingill. 

Voters who still have their ballots at home should return them as soon as possible. 

“Make sure you get your ballots in on time,” Pettingill said. “Don't wait till the last minute and double check that you've signed your ballot before you stick it in a box because it'll make the process so much easier.” 

For voters who choose to return their ballots through the mail, Pettingill said they should take an extra step before dropping their ballot in a mailbox. 

“If they're going to put it in the mail, they should have it hand stamped at the post office before they put it in the mail,” she said. 

A hand-canceled postmark helps document that the ballot was mailed on or before Election Day. However, election officials continue to recommend using official ballot drop boxes whenever possible. 

Pettingill said her office has also received calls from voters who believe they are still waiting for a second ballot or a separate federal ballot. However, voters receive only one ballot for the election, and all races and measures for which they are eligible to vote are included on that ballot. 

“Everything that they're eligible to vote for is on the one ballot they were sent,” Pettingill said. 

Voters who think their ballot is incomplete or are waiting for an additional ballot should contact the elections office or review their voter information through VoteWA.gov, Pettingill said. 

As of Monday afternoon, the Grant County elections office received 13,735 ballots and still had roughly 1,500 ballots awaiting processing, Pettingill said. As of Monday morning, Adams County had around 1,955 ballots returned, according to the Washington Secretary of State.  

Because ballots continue to arrive throughout Election Day, voters should not expect all ballots to be counted immediately when results are released Tuesday night. 

“It's nearly impossible to have every vote counted right at 8 p.m. on election day, especially when people are dropping their ballots off right at 8 p.m.,” Pettingill said. 

Election results will begin posting after ballots are tabulated following the 8 p.m. deadline, but additional ballots received before the deadline will continue to be processed in the days afterward. 

Voters who have misplaced their ballot can obtain a replacement until 8 p.m. today by visiting the elections office in person or by downloading a ballot replacement package through VoteWA.gov. Pettingill encouraged voters needing a replacement ballot to begin the process before 7:30 p.m. to allow enough time to complete and return it before the deadline. 

As of Monday morning, of the ballots processed, 186 have been challenged in Grant County and 28 in Adams County. Pettingill said ballots can be challenged because the signature doesn’t match the one on file, or no signature was provided on the ballot. Voters will be contacted regarding a challenged ballot via mail, email or text message. They have until election certification day, November 23, to contact the elections office to fix a challenged ballot.  

Residents with questions about their ballot status can visit VoteWA.gov to track their ballot and confirm it has been received and accepted.