Seattle, Washington -  Long before Dino Rossi and Patty Murray decided to run for the 2010 Washington State senate position and well before Elisha Ferry was elected as the first governor of Washington State in 1889, groups of people would assemble together to select someone to do something; anything ranging from cooking meals to leading government politics. The election process, in its various forms, has been in place for as long as humankind has wanted to delegate or lead. There are many aspects to completing an election, but arguably the most important part of the entire process seems to be the actual effort in casting a vote.

In modern times, an election literally means choosing a candidate of some sort for a particular role by the vote of those enfranchised to cast a ballot. The sixth edition of the Columbia Encyclopedia says the ballot was first used in Athens in the 5th century, in India before 300 BC, and in Rome through assemblies as well as practiced by their senate. Ballots seemed to disappear from use during the Middle Ages, but reemerged in the Italian communes, specifically during the elections of the papacy as early as the 13th century. In the 16th and 17th century the ballot appeared in English borough and university elections.

As the American colonies got started, the General Court of Massachusetts elected governors by ballot after 1634, even occasionally using corn and beans as ballots. The colonies were the first to use an occasional secret ballot to elect representatives until 1776 when State constitutions made secret casting binding for every state but one. On a federal level, the Constitution gave the right to hold elections; however each state has been able to dictate the method and location.

Referred to as "papers," the term “ballot” was not uttered in connection to the voting process in America before 1676. At that time, paper ballots were akin to political party issued ticket packets which were haphazardly printed and distributed but easily tainted by election abuse. These packets listed a great deal of information to read, consider, and then use for hand written voting; however in 1888 the United States followed Europe’s lead and replaced the ticketing method of ballot casting with the Australian version of a single paper ballot listing candidate names which was made available at politically neutral polling places that insured legally protected secret voting. As technology took hold, the hand written single ballot system was replaced, as early as 1892, with mechanical, computerized, electronic, or optically scanned means of voting.

As time marched on, improvements in voting accuracy ensued. Mechanical voting became the quickest and most private way to cast a ballot at a polling center. This system utilized a voting machine connected to punch card ballots encased with a privacy curtain. The voting machine's greatest asset became protection against voting fraud as well as most human error. Critics have claimed over the years that the machine could be subject to breakdowns, and might intimidate some citizens due to technology issues (creating operator error), and was susceptible to punch card voter errors that sometimes allowed voting for two candidates for the same office or would fail to register a vote clearly (hanging chads).

These days many locations, Washington State included, have switched to voting by mail rather than heading to a polling location to cast a vote. Annoyed with long lines, voting errors and a voting season that required voters to step outdoors usually into winter like weather conditions outspoken advocate James Gailbraith said, "It is an injustice, an outrage and a scandal--a crime, really--that American citizens should have to wait for hours in the November rain in order to exercise the simple right to vote." This postal voting alternative seems to have provided greater voter turnout at less expense than traditional polling booths.

For Washington State, voting by mail has become the standard way to conduct an election. Secretary of State Sam Reed and his staff summarized the voting situation this way:
 

“Many Washington State voters had already requested to receive permanent absentee ballots at each election rather than go to an assigned polling place to vote on Election Day. In many counties, because of the low turnout at the polls on Election Day, it is not cost effective to continue to conduct poll site elections. Many voters enjoy the extra time to review the ballot before casting a vote that comes with voting by mail.”

Until recently 38 of Washington's 39 counties participates in voting by mail, with Pierce County offering poll sites. The 2009 House Bill 1572, introduced in January of 2009 by Sam Hunt a Democrat from Olympia, would require all counties in Washington State to hold elections by mail. As of February 2010, the Bill passed the House and has been sent to the Senate for consideration. Sentiment from online discussion of this measure laments the time when voting day was a family affair which included a trip to the polling center and a lesson in civics.

With voting nostalgia put aside, voters should know that Washington State law requires ballots be mailed to voters at least 18 days prior to an election provided the voter maintains current residence and mailing addresses with the County Auditor. As the August 17th Primary Election Day approaches voters who have not yet received a ballot should contact the County Auditor's Office for a replacement ballot.

For news tips, story ideas, or questions, you can reach Sherry Erickson by email at ExaminerSherryErickson@comcast.net or by telephone message line using 425-270-4471.