As Washington’s 18-day voting period winds down, Secretary of State Kim Wyman is urging a strong turnout – and offering some important tips.

Ballots and Voters’ Pamphlets went out in mid-October – even earlier for our 65,000 military and overseas voters – and Nov. 4 is the deadline for returning your completed ballot.

Wyman, the state’s chief elections officer, calls the election “a very special, very important opportunity to join our fellow Washington residents in electing our leaders and shaping the communities we call home. I call upon every registered voter to take part.”

Wyman offers some tips:

–Vote just as soon as you’re ready so you don’t get caught up in the rush of weekend activities and possibly forget the return deadline that is fast approaching.

–Be sure and take advantage of the plentiful sources of good information about this election – your Voters’ Pamphlet, TVW/OSOS Video Voters’ Guide, our Online Voters’ Guide, MyVote, media and campaign materials, endorsements or other materials you think will be helpful.

–Make sure your ballot gets a valid Nov. 4 postmark or that you deposit it in an official county dropbox or at your county elections office no later than 8 p.m., Pacific Standard Time.

–Read all directions, and be sure to sign your outer envelope.

–You will see an oath that you sign, attesting that you are a U.S. citizen and18 or older and qualified to vote. Knowingly providing false information is a Class C felony.

–It’s legal, but not advisable, to give your completed ballot to someone you don’t know, based on their assurance the ballot will be turned in promptly. There is no guarantee the ballot would get to where it needs to go. You should never feel pressured to turn your ballot over to anyone, or unduly pressured to vote it a certain way. It’s your vote and your voice.

–When it comes time to learn the results as they are tallied Election Night and beyond, be sure to download our free app and visit our Election Results website.

Wyman noted that 3.9 million ballots were sent out beginning Oct. 15, and that some 65,000 military and overseas voters were sent ballots by surface mail and email by Sept. 20. As of Thursday morning, over 780,000 ballots had been returned to our 39 counties – nearly 20 percent of those issued.

Using the assistance of the multi-state Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC), voter rolls are regular checked for duplicate registrations, deceased voters and felons in the custody of the Department of Corrections.

The 39 counties will certify their returns on Nov. 25 and Secretary Wyman and Governor Inslee will certify the state results on Dec. 2.