King County Council approves increase in voter ballot drop-off boxes
Published 3:10 pm Monday, May 2, 2016
King County voters will have more places to drop off their ballots without a stamp.
The Metropolitan King County Council on Monday approved a plan to increase ballot drop-off boxes throughout the county, including a site to be determined on Kent’s East Hill and at Highline College in Des Moines. The county will keep a drop box at the Maleng Regional Justice Center in downtown Kent.
Nineteen new drop box locations will be available for the August Primary Election, with 14 new drop box locations in place for the November General Election.
“Voters want more drop boxes, and King County is delivering,” said Council Vice Chair Rod Dembowski, the co-sponsor of the motion, in a county media release. “Our goal is to increase convenience and lower barriers to voting. This new plan is a big step forward in improving access.”
The estimated cost of the project is $239,695, according to county documents.
With the transition to all-mail voting, the council has been reviewing options to increase access to voters who were unable to mail their ballots and were not near the limited number of ballot drop-off locations.
“Providing secure and accessible elections is a fundamental responsibility of county government and I am glad there will be more ballot drop boxes all over South King County,” said Budget Chair Dave Upthegrove. “I worked hard to make sure that these drop boxes will best serve our diverse communities and look forward to seeing them installed during the coming months.”
The council adopted a motion requesting the Director of Elections to present a plan looking at opportunities to increase the number of drop boxes available to voters in all nine council districts. Elections compiled a list of more than 100 sites to consider as drop box locations including public libraries, current ballot drop-off locations, suggestions from local jurisdictions, community partners, the voting public, the King County Council and the King County Executive’s Office.
The adopted plan will have Elections install 33 drop boxes at new drop box sites and seven drop boxes to replace those at existing drop box sites and extend the useful life of three drop boxes at current drop box locations.
The plan includes drop boxes at 24 public libraries and three in geographically isolated communities on Vashon Island, Southeast King County and East King County.
Ballot drop-off sites:
Lake City Library
Lake Forest Park City Hall
Shoreline Library
Bothell Regional Library
New Holly Library
Skyway Library
Rainier Community Center (TBD)
Beacon Hill Library
University of Washington
Redmond City Hall
Woodinville Library
Issaquah City Hall
Sammamish City Hall
Snoqualmie Library
Ballard Library
Broadview Library
Green Lake Library
Election Headquarters (Renton)
Valley View Library
RJC-Kent
Highline College (TBD)
Kent East Hill (TBD)
Crossroads Shopping Center
Kirkland City Hall
Kingsgate Library
Bellevue Regional Library
Federal Way City Hall
Auburn Library
Algona-Pacific Library
Muckleshoot Library
White Center Library
Burien Library/City Hall
High Point Library
KC Administration Building
International District (TBD)
South Park Library
Vashon Library
Capitol Hill (TBD)
Fairwood Library
Renton Highlands (TBD)
Enumclaw Library
Tahoma School Dist. Bldg.
Covington Library
