Thread by @KUOW

I’m reporter @joshuamcnichols. I will post what I see on Election Day for KUOW in this thread. So far, very quiet at Seattle’s Garfield community center drop box on a wet morning.

Lots of commuters in a hurry, but this family savoring the moment dropping off their ballots at Seattle’s Garfield Community Center.

Katharine Moore, who had previously requested an absentee ballot, drove halfway across the country from Colorado arriving in Seattle last night at 10:30 to cast her ballot in person on Election Day.

Mahogany Thomas almost didn’t vote because she was concerned her vote wouldn’t count. But finally she decided to vote after all on Election Day, she said, to show her grandkids integrity and diligence.

Packing up my rain shelter and mic now at Garfield Community Center drop box to go suss out the mood on Capitol Hill

Lifelong Thrift on Capitol Hill in Seattle is closed because they gave employees the day off to vote.

Thankful for waterproof boots this election day in Seattle

Looks like I wasn’t the only one with the shelter idea. Seattle Central College students Ameer and Joe on Capitol Hill are preparing to help voters who need help printing out ballots. They have a speedy printer + reliable internet right inside the building.

Headed to check out King County’s “voter center” near CenturyLink Field. People who aren’t registered to vote can register there and vote on the same day.

Festive atmosphere with music, flags and coronavirus awareness outside the King County voter center at CenturyLink field (entrance is at the WAMU theater). Register and vote same day.

Shawn Abernethy with King County elections says at the CenturyLink “Voter Center” they’ve been registering 200-300 new voters each of the last 2 days and expect to triple that today. Others have come for help printing ballots.

Here is the process. Step 1: register to vote & print ballot.

Step 3: fill out ballot at table

Step 4: these volunteers check to make sure envelope is sealed and signed, so the vote will be counted, and voters drop it in the blue King County Elections bag which functions like a ballot drop box.

In case you were wondering, the ballot bag has a special tag that indicates whether the bag has been opened. But they don’t open the bag, not even if you forgot to sign your ballot. In that case you fill out a “ballot challenge form,” which gets dropped in the same bag.

Shawn A just corrected herself, said this center has registered just under 200 new voters per day, not 200-300.

Behind the voter center at the Centurylink Field Event Center is a drive-through version where you can do all the same stuff while socially distanced in your car. Registration, voting, all of it. Open until 8pm tonight. Plenty of room, no line at noon.

Voter @MRNYICEGUY (Guy Davis), who lives nearby, was drawn to this particular drop box location by the DJs who’ve turned the entrance to this Voter Center into a party.

Meanwhile #joytothepolls #ElectionDefenders volunteers are kind of dancing and grooving on the other side of the entrance as voters enter.

Ok, I’m saying goodbye to the voter center now. Got to go prepare for an interview with @KimOnKUOW this afternoon. Big takeaway: you can still vote at CenturyLink Event Center even if you’re not registered to vote yet! Until 8pm. -@joshuamcnichols