National Voter Registration Day is today! Are you registered to vote?

The United States General Election is fast approaching. Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020, is Election Day, when ballots across the country are cast and counted.

The state of Washington is a mail-in ballot state, which means that your ballot will be automatically sent to you around Friday, Oct. 16, for you to fill out and mail back in by Election Day. But, to receive a ballot, you must be registered to vote.

MultiCare supports civic participation for all

MultiCare’s mission is partnering for healing and a healthy future. Supporting active citizenship and civic participation for all aligns with that mission. The 20,000+ individuals who together comprise our employees, medical staff and volunteers are more than just a part of MultiCare. They are a part of the communities we serve. Communities where we all live, play and raise our families.

Voting is foundational to being an engaged citizen. Every election, whether local, state or federal, helps determine the laws that govern us, the programs and support services available to us and the elected officials who represent us on every level of government. We encourage all our employees and members of our communities to vote — this year and every year — to ensure we all have a voice in shaping our futures.

It is not to late to register to vote

Celebrated on the fourth Tuesday of September, National Voter Registration Day is a nonpartisan civic holiday celebrating our democracy. First observed in 2012, nearly 3 million voters have registered to vote on the holiday to date.

This year National Voter Registration Day is on Tuesday, Sept. 22. But you can still register to vote after this date.

Key voter registration dates for Washington state

• Monday, Oct. 26, 2020: Online and mail registrations must be received by this date (Eight days before Election Day).
• Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020: Election Day! Deadline for in-person voter registration or updates.

Remember, the earlier you register, the better, to ensure you receive your ballot in a timely fashion. Your ballot must either be postmarked no later than Election Day or returned to a ballot drop box by 8pm on Election Day. If mailing your ballot within a week of Election Day, be mindful of mailbox collection times or use an official ballot drop box. A late postmark could disqualify your ballot.

Note that while Washington is a mail-in ballot state, you do have options to vote in person if you need to. Each county opens a voting center prior to each primary, special election, and general election. Each voting center is open during business hours during the voting period, which begins 18 days before, and ends at 8pm on the day of, the primary, special election, or general election. You can locate your nearest voting center by visiting VoteWA.gov or contacting your county’s elections department.

For more information, including links and resources to help you register, visit the Washington state Secretary of State’s Elections website.

Are you a resident of Idaho?

A number of MultiCare employees and customers live in Idaho. Idaho is a vote-in-person state, but you may request a mail-in, or absentee, ballot if you prefer to vote by mail. Both voter registration and absentee ballot requests can be completed online, by mail or in person.

Key voter registration dates for Idaho:

• Friday, Oct. 9, 2020: Voter registration deadline for the Nov. 3 election (postmarked by this date for mailed registrations; 5pm for in-person registrations; 11:59pm for online registrations).
• Monday, Oct. 19: Early voting begins (in participating counties).
• Friday, Oct. 23: Absentee ballot applications must be received by this date.
• Tuesday, Nov. 3: Election Day! You may vote in person at your designated polling place if you have not voted by mail. If you miss the deadline to register to vote by mail or online, you may register and vote in person on election day.

For more information, visit the Idaho Votes website.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published Sept. 16, 2020, and updated Sept. 22, 2020.