Election Day is finally here — have you cast your ballot yet?

Your ballpoint pen may be getting a workout. Because today is Election Day. You have until 8pm tonight to get to a ballot box.

And procrastinators, you are not alone – the Secretary of State’s office says statewide, just about 39% of ballots had been returned as of Monday. That’s lagging behind early voting numbers for the same day in the last midterm election in 2018.

KUOW politics reporter David Hyde says there's a variety of reasons why people might be slow to get their ballot in.

"The speculation includes that it was just kind of a different year back in 2018. Trump was President. This was the year that the Democrats flipped the US House from red to blue, there were some statewide initiatives on the ballot. So it could be just sort of voter enthusiasm is a little bit less."

Hyde also notes that some local candidates are asking their supporters to vote later. Joe Kent, the Republican candidate for the third district in southwest Washington, says he wants his supporters to wait to turn their ballots in until election day. "

Holding on to your ballot until the last day is one of the surest ways to ensure if there were to be any funny business, they would have the least amount of time to do said funny business if you turn in your ballot on game day," says Kent.

Hyde notes that as a result we could see more late ballots from the third district, as well as from other voters concerned about election fraud.

"It is possible that we're going to see a little bit of a surge though among these MAGA voters after election night, as we often see here in Seattle in the opposite direction with with progressive voters," notes Hyde.

Due to those late ballots, we're unlikely to see many close races called tonight, says Hyde.

This is an excerpt of today's conversation. Hear the full discussion with David Hyde by hitting the play button at the top of the page.