Redistricting in Snohomish County causing some confusion as ballots are mailed out

As the general election nears, ballots will soon arrive in Washington homes. In Snohomish County, ballots have already been sent out to some rural voters to ensure they arrive in time, causing confusion for some voters that are realizing that they’re in new Congressional districts.

Every 10 years, Washington redraws the boundaries of Congressional and State Legislative Electoral Districts based on updated federal census data.

This week, ballots began arriving in some communities, which had some FOX 13 viewers questioning whether they received the correct ballots.

There are some noticeable changes in geographic boundaries, especially for people in eastern Snohomish County where a large geographic area switched from voting in Congressional District 1 to Congressional District 8.

According to Snohomish County Auditor Garth Fell, 60% of Snohomish County voters are voting in at least one new district since the 2020 census. Fell told FOX 13 News that they’re already receiving calls.

 "This happens every 10 years and we do get a lot of calls from voters wanting to know why their districts have changed," said Fell. "It’s encouraging that voters are looking, because that means they’re looking at their ballots."

The ballots have not been without complaint. Lawsuits were filed over redistricting, but now maps are locked in – and those who didn’t vote in the primary may be getting their first realization that they’re in a different district than they were previously.

If you’d like to double-check what Congressional or state legislative district you currently reside in, you can see finalized maps, and an explainer on the redistricting process, here.