Bloglander

If you're anything like me, you're all but certain that once you drop your ballot in the mail, it will disappear, excluding you from the democratic process. Did a malicious mail man destroy it because he's trying to bring back the Whig Party? Was it dropped in the street? Did it explode?

Our state's vote-by-mail system is convenient and efficient, but it doesn't bring us the joy of dropping a ballot into the box like in the good ol days. But, thankfully, the good folks at the Spokane County elections department can assure you that your ballot has been received.

All you have to do is click right here and enter in your name. Then, bam — proof of democracy, right there. I just did it. My signature was verified, it said, and thus did my body fill with that warm sense of civic duty.

See if your vote has been counted. According to the county's continually updated statistics, almost 40 percent of Spokane County's 285,000-plus voters have already cast a ballot. Here are the stats.

If you haven't already, get on that.