Spin Control: With Election Day almost here, we offer help and answers for waiting voters

About half of Washington’s registered voters – and at least half of the voters who are going to cast ballots – had turned them in by Friday.

But that means the other half, or about 2.4 million voters, still have their ballot envelopes sitting around, probably unopened and possibly buried under all those campaign mailers that have been filling the mailbox.

Some voters are traditionalists and wait for Election Day to cast their ballot. But others may still be looking for answers about some candidates or measures, or about the election in general, before marking their ballot.

It is, after all, a long and somewhat complicated ballot. Although the presidential election has received plenty of attention, many other choices remain on state, county and local races or issues. For those looking for more information on one or more of those, here are a few suggestions:

The Spokesman-Review’s Election Center, with months of coverage of the races and at-a-glance information on the candidates and issues, can be found online near the top of the newspaper’s website, www.spokesman.com.

The state Voter’s Guide, with statements by the candidates and for and against the ballot measures, can also be found online at your county elections office website. In Spokane County, that’s www.spokanecounty.org/elections.

For those who prefer to process information by video, TVW has a video guide for the state races and initiatives at www.tvw.org.

Spin Control can provide some answers to other voter questions.

I lost my ballot. How do I get a replacement? You can go to a Voter Service Center operated by your County Elections Office. Spokane County has three that are open 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday and 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the Elections Office, 1033 W. Gardner; EWU Catalyst Building, 601 E. Riverside; and Centerplace Regional Event Center, 2426 Discover Pl. in Spokane Valley

I’m not registered. Can I still vote? If you are an eligible voter – at least 18 years old, an American citizen and a resident of Washington – you can register and cast a ballot up to Election Day. But it is too late to register online or by mail. You can sign up and cast a ballot by going to your County Elections Office. In Spokane County, that’s at 1033 W. Gardner Ave.

I already voted. How do I know if my ballot arrived at the Elections Office? Washington has a system that allows you to track your ballot online. Go to voter.VoteWA.gov and enter your name and address into the voter portal.

I already voted. When will candidates stop mailing me campaign literature? Hard to say. Some campaigns closely monitor when ballots are turned in and adjust their mailings accordingly. Others don’t.

I turned in my ballot yesterday but just saw something that makes me want to change my mind about one of my choices. Can I get my ballot back? No. Once it’s in the system, it can’t be retrieved.

Do I have to vote for every issue and race on the ballot? No. Your votes on the ones marked will still be counted.

Is there any way someone can find out how I voted? No. It’s possible to determine whether you voted – that’s public information – but the system of two envelopes protects how you voted. The signature on the outer envelope is verified and the security envelope with the ballot still inside is placed with others. The ballots are removed from the security envelopes and tabulated later.

When does my ballot have to be in? It must either be postmarked by Tuesday or deposited in a drop box by 8 that night.

How much does it cost to mail my ballot? Ballot envelopes don’t need stamps. But if you wait until Tuesday to mail, take it to a post office to make sure it is postmarked in time.

If I voted in the Democratic or Republican presidential primary, am I required to only vote for that party’s candidates? No. You can vote for whatever candidate you want in any race.

If I voted for a candidate in the state primary in August, do I have to vote for that candidate in the general election? No. You can vote for whatever candidate you want.

Why is Robert Kennedy Jr. on the presidential ballot if he dropped out of the race and endorsed Donald Trump? Kennedy’s supporters from the We the People Party collected enough signatures to qualify him to be one of nine minor party candidates for the state presidential ballot. About two weeks after he qualified, Kennedy dropped out of the race, but that was too late for him to be removed from the ballot.

When will the ballots be counted? Elections officials will begin tabulating ballots shortly after 8 p.m. Tuesday. But ballots that are placed in drop boxes on Tuesday might not be processed until Wednesday or Thursday, and those mailed Monday and Tuesday might not arrive until late this week or early next week. As long as they are properly postmarked, they will be counted up until the election is certified on Nov. 26.

When will we know the outcome of the election? Because Washington allows ballots that are properly postmarked to be counted up until certification, the outcome of very close races might not be known until then. And if those results are close, a recount might be required before a winner is declared. That said, the results of some races could be clear Tuesday night, and most races are usually determined by the end of this week, when basic math says the leading candidate is so far ahead that not enough ballots are available for the other candidate to catch up.