Sometimes it’s more convenient to drop a ballot on the way to or from somewhere instead of mailing it especially when the deadline looms. And who has a stamp handy anyways? Many of us rarely do.
Removing barriers and improving access to ensure that every voter is able to easily exercise their right to vote is one of the most important priorities for our department. Ballot drop boxes have become an important tool for voters here and thanks to a new proposal which was recently funded by the King County Council, the current number of drop boxes is going to grow from 10 to 43. This means that 91.5% of all King County residents will now live within 3 miles of a drop box.
King County Elections currently has 10 permanent ballot drop boxes and 12 temporary ballot-drop vans. The vans, which have limited hours and days of operation, will no longer be used. The planned expansion will add 33 permanent drop box locations. Installation of the boxes will be a phased approach:
- 29 ballot drop boxes will be available for the August 2016 Primary Election. The list of locations will be available on our website by June 15.
- The remaining 14 ballot drop boxes will be available for the November 2016 General Election.
Deciding on how many drop boxes to have and where to put them can be a tricky balancing act. Considerations such as cost, traffic flow, proximity to transit options, parking, and the presence of underserved communities all play a part in the decision making process. We are committed to keeping voter access a high priority.
Read more about our expansion plan.
Election Connection 