Changes in Washington State Voting Process Being Introduced

AP-It's well known that in Washington state, elections often don't end on election night, because the state's vote-by-mail system ensures that any close race will be unsettled for days afterward. But one measure introduced by Rep. Kevin Van De Wege, D-Sequim, would require ballots on election night to be processed and counted until midnight, unless there are no more ballots on hand to count. However, because current law only requires that ballots be postmarked by Election Day, many voters drop ballots in the mail or into special drop boxes that day, meaning the forms often do not reach election officials for several more days. The system usually leaves about half of the vote outstanding at the end of the night.