As Election Day draws near on November 5, 2024, we will start seeing an influx of political news in our inboxes and newsfeeds. Stay current on the facts to be informed this election season and combat misinformation with the following resources. Voter information was taken directly from Washington’s Secretary of State’s Office, Spokane County Elections, The Arc of Spokane, and American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD).
Voter Information
Ballot Box Information & Mail-In Voting
There is a ballot box at each of the library’s seven locations situated in parking lots or outside the entrance of the libraries. Central Library’s and Shadle Park Library’s boxes are walk-up boxes outside the main entrances of those buildings. For more ballot box information, please reference this list from Spokane County Elections Office.
Voting by mail is convenient and gives you time to learn about the ballot measures and candidates before casting your vote. Return your ballot by official drop box or by mail, no stamp needed. Your ballot must be deposited or postmarked by Election Day. If mailed, the USPS recommends that you mail a week before Election Day.
All counties conduct vote-by-mail elections. All vote-by-mail ballots (also known as absentee) are kept in secure storage while not being processed. Processing includes the verification of signatures and postmarks, removing the inner envelope from the outer envelope and removing the ballot from the inner envelope. Ballots are secured with numbered seals and a log is kept of the seal numbers to detect any inappropriate access. Votes cast are tabulated after 8 p.m. PST on Election Day. Results are neither known nor reported before 8 p.m.
Disability Voting Rights Week
“Disability Voting Rights Week (DVRW) is a nonpartisan movement hosted by the American Association of People with Disabilities and REV UP. DVRW is about advocacy, celebrating community, and building power.” Celebrate Disability Voting Rights Week: September 9 to 13.
As a military or overseas voter, you have several options for registering to vote, receiving your ballot and returning it. If you are a military spouse or dependant, and you are away from home because of the military service, you also qualify as a military voter.
Military and overseas voters are exempt from the regular voter registration deadlines. The last day to register and request a ballot is Election Day. Even if you are not registered, you may still vote and send in a ballot because your signature on the declaration attests to your eligibility and constitutes registration.
Felony Convictions and Voting Rights
If you were convicted of a felony in Washington state, another state, or in federal court, your right to vote will be restored automatically as long as you are not currently serving a sentence of total confinement in prison. You do not lose the right to vote for a misdemeanor conviction or a conviction in juvenile court. If you were previously registered to vote, you must re-register to vote. You can register online with VoteWA, printing and returning a form, in person at your county elections office, or request a voter registration form be mailed to you.
Fact Checking Resources
As new information circulates, it is always good to check the facts to have a well-rounded understanding of a situation. Different sources may not share completely accurate information and many media outlets succumb to varying degrees of media bias. Below are online fact checkers that look into statements from notable figures to ensure your information is accurate!
Ad Fontes Media | Interactive Media Chart
With a wealth of information at our fingertips, social media, podcasts, and online and television news are popular sources for obtaining information. This chart portrays a visual representation of the media bias of different information sources. Getting news from a variety of different outlets provides a more well-rounded understanding of the information.
Media Bias Fact Check Plugin on Google Chrome
Show Media Bias / Fact Check ratings for Facebook, Twitter and news websites as you browse.
PolitiFact’s core principles are independence, transparency, fairness, thorough reporting and clear writing. The reason we publish is to give citizens the information they need to govern themselves in a democracy.
When misinformation obscures the truth and readers don’t know what to trust, Snopes’ fact-checking and original investigative reporting lights the way to evidence-based and contextualized analysis. We always link to and document our sources so readers are empowered to do independent research and make up their own minds.
The Washington Post Fact Checker
A weekly review of what’s true, false or in-between in politics, from The Post’s famous fact-checking team.
FactCheck.org’s SciCheck feature focuses exclusively on false and misleading scientific claims that are made by partisans to influence public policy.
NPR (national public radio) is an independent, nonprofit media organization that was founded on a mission to create a more informed public
