SPOKANE, Wash. — There are still two weeks until Election Day, but voting is already in full swing in Washington.
Spokane County election officials said they expect turnout in the county to reach 80% to 82% in the general election.
In vote-by-mail systems, candidates use up-to-date voter registration information to confirm whether they have voted as part of their election strategy.
This process is called matchback. That information will be available once the ballots are sent out. If you send it back, that information will also be recorded.
Campaigns can then take that information, match it to the list of voters they want to contact, and remove them from their contact list.
“If you return your ballot early, there’s a good chance it will be removed from your contact list and no longer bothered about you,” Spokane County Auditor Vicki Dalton said. “This is a huge benefit of voting early and receiving your ballot right away.”
Campaigns will have access to your name, address, age, gender, and whether your ballot is unreturned. Your signature, contact information, and voting method will not be published.
For campaigns, matchback strategies are a cost-effective and efficient way to target your campaign approach.
“We are thinking about this in a few different ways. One is, who is still determined? How do we share our vision for the future and the policies we support? Can we do it? And also try to encourage people who probably won’t vote,”’ said Democratic state Senate candidate Marcus Riccelli.
Voting statistics will be published daily on the Washington State Secretary of State’s website on business days. Specific matchback statistics for Spokane districts can be requested through the county via a form. Republican state House candidate Tony Keep’s team also uses this technique.
“So we’re looking at, if you’ve already voted, we’re not going to keep sending you documents. We’re going to save money,” he said.
Election officials say the technique is primarily used in more sophisticated, large-scale campaigns.
If you have not yet received your ballot in the mail, we recommend that you contact your elections office immediately.
The last day to register to vote is October 28th. In-person registration is available until Election Day, November 5th.
Learn more about Spokane County elections here.
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