The free service is available 24-7 at the Secretary of State's Web site, which includes a user-friendly page dedicated to the Top 2 Primary. Voters can read the official statewide Voters' Pamphlet statement and view a photo and bio for each of the candidates listed. Phone numbers, e-mail addresses, Web site addresses and mailing addresses for each of the candidates is also provided. Maps to ballot drop box locations are provided for voters in many counties.
The service, first launched about a year ago and now upgraded and being re-launched and promoted by Secretary of State Sam Reed in time for the pivotal 2008 elections, searches the statewide voter registration database to find an individual voter's registration record and then displays only the candidates and ballot measures that apply to the individual voter.
"MyVote is a very exciting advance for us in Washington, and something that is already drawing some national attention," said Reed. "This is a huge step for us. I have long wanted to have this kind of one-stop way for our citizens to get all the basic information they need to be informed and engaged voters. Technology is now here and we are able to put this together. I strongly urge people to give this a try."
Citizens can also use MyVote to check their voter registration status, update a mailing address and see which elections they voted in recently. Online registration is an option in Washington state.
Before MyVote became available, voters often had to call a county auditor's office or scroll through long Web pages to access much of this type of information. No resources were available for voters to get election information that was specifically related to their voter registration record and/or their ballot.
