We crunched the numbers for the November 2016 General Election to see how the county’s six biggest cities voted. Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton carried all six cities in her bid for U.S. President. While Seattle and Bellevue voted overwhelmingly for Clinton, Republican candidate and now President-elect Donald J. Trump fared better in south King County. Trump lost to Clinton by fewer than 10,000 votes in Federal Way.
Author: K. Hosh
The results are in: King County voters really like having additional ballot boxes
King County’s action to quadruple the number of ballot boxes this year proved to be really popular among voters. More than half of the ballots returned during the General Election were dropped off at a ballot box, a sharp increase from previous elections.
With strong support from King County Executive Dow Constantine and funding provided by the Metropolitan King County Council, Elections Director Julie Wise increased the number of drop boxes located across the county, from 10 to 43.
More than 90 percent of King County residents now live within 3 miles a ballot box.
The new drop box locations were selected based on criteria that included geographically isolated or culturally distinct communities as well as areas that have lower than average voter registration rates. Working with King County’s Office of Equity and Social Justice, Elections evaluated more than 100 locations.
The new drop boxes were installed in two phases: 19 locations were added for the 2016 Primary and an additional 14 opened for the General Election. King County Council members, the Executive and local officials celebrated the openings by hosting ribbon cutting ceremonies at several locations, including the Kingsgate Library in Kirkland and the Lake City Library in Seattle.
King County Elections will continue to evaluate locations for additional drop boxes, particularly in communities that have historically been underserved.
Top 10 Election Movies
We know, we know. It’s been a really long election year. But if you’re anything like us, you can’t get enough of watching democracy in action. Curl up on the couch this holiday season and binge watch some of our favorite election and voting rights movies. From drama to comedy, we’ve got you covered:
1. Selma
This historical drama chronicles the 1965 Selma to Montgomery Alabama voting rights marches lead by civil rights icon Martin Luther King, Jr.
2. The Ides of March
A political dram a starring George Clooney, The Ides of March is about a scandal during a contested presidential primary.
3. Election
This black comedy-drama starring Reese Witherspoon is about a high school student’s battle for class president.
4. Suffragette
Set in 1912, Suffragette chronicles the stories of women fighting for the right to vote in the United Kingdom.
5. The Campaign
This political satire comedy starring the hilarious Will Ferrell is about the Congressional race for a fictional 14th District in North Carolina.
6. Milk
This 2008 film is based on the life of gay rights activist and politician Harvey Milk. Milk was the first gay person to be elected to public office in California, serving on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.
7. Black Sheep
Starring Chris Farley and David Spade, Black Sheep is a comedy about a candidate’s race for Governor of Washington. Farley plays the candidate’s embarrassing younger brother.
8. Our Brand is Crisis
Starring Sandra Bullock, this comedy drama is a fictionalized account of American political strategists working for a candidate in the 2002 Bolivian presidential election.
9. Napoleon Dynamite
This 2004 comedy revolves around the socially-awkward Napoleon Dynamite, a high school student from Idaho. Napoleon helps his friend Pedro run for class president.
10. Primary Colors
Primary Colors is a fictional account of Bill Clinton’s 1992 presidential campaign.
Did we leave out any of your favorites? Let us know in the comments below.
5 Voting Gifts for the Holidays
Are you shopping for the holidays and want to avoid crowded stores? We put together this list of five voting gifts you can conveniently buy online. Use them as stocking stuffers or bring them to a gift exchange at your next holiday party. Our list includes a Cat in the Hat book that introduces children to the electoral system. We’ve also got trendy Rock the Vote fleece hoodies perfect for teenagers and young adults. Check out our favorite gifts:
1. Vote Early Vote Often T-Shirt – $21.99
2. Vote Button – $3.25
3. Vote Crew Socks – $10.99
4. Rock The Vote Hoodie – $39.99
5. One Vote, Two Votes, I Vote, You Vote – $8.86
How we get Dead Voters off the Rolls
Here’s a question we get from time to time: What happens to your voter registration if you die? Can someone vote as you? Once you die, there’s really nothing mysterious about your voter registration. When we learn a voter has passed away, we simply cancel their registration.
Over the last year we’ve removed more than 8,500 deceased voters from registration rolls. We learn about a voter’s death through a few ways. Each day we check newspaper obituaries to see who has died. We cross reference the name, date of birth, location or any other pertinent information in each obituary with our voter registration database.
Another way to confirm death is through information that is shared with us from other government agencies: The Washington State Department of Health and the Washington Secretary of State’s office, which sends us social security information.
The final way we learn of a voter’s death is through another voter, usually a family member. These notifications typically come in a few days after ballots have been sent out. Over the last year, 600 voters reported the death of another voter.
If a voter you know has passed away, fill out and sign a deceased voter registration cancellation form. If someone accidentally gets canceled, their registration can be reactivated within three years. After three years, canceled registrations become permanent and the voter would have to register again.
Updating Your Signature
When it comes to our signatures, most of us have changed the way we sign our names over time. As a teenager, maybe you dotted the “I” in your name with a heart. Or you got married and changed your name. Either way, our signatures change with the passage of time.
This week we sent out 13,570 letters asking registered voters to update their signatures with us. The letters were sent to voters whose signatures have changed over time and therefore a more current signature of record is needed.
Each election we compare the signature on a voter’s return ballot envelope to the signature from their voter registration file. Our team analyzes the voter’s handwriting, looking for indicators such as slants, strokes and spacing. By law, the signatures need to match for us to accept the voter’s ballot. This is why keeping your signature updated with us is so important.
A voter who receives a signature update letter this week has had their signature verified and their vote counted. However, our team has determined that the voter’s signature is beginning to look different from the one in their voter registration file. We recommend the voter updates their signature now to avoid any issues with their ballots in the future.
You can always voluntarily update your signature with us by completing this form. Questions? Call us at 206-296-VOTE (8683) or email us at elections@kingcounty.gov.
King County Certifies 2016 General Election Results
King County Elections today certified the final results of the 2016 General Election. Total voter turnout was 82% percent.
The department certified the results, which officially declared winners for candidate offices and declared whether ballot measures passed or failed. Candidate concessions or the media announcing a winner of a race are not official declarations.
Results are certified 21 days after a General Election because Washington is a “voter intent” state. This gives voters enough time to resolve any issues with their ballots or signatures.
The department will post final election results, including precinct-level information, on the Elections website by 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, November 30.
Record-Setting 1 Million Votes Cast in General Election
More King County voters cast a ballot than ever before in the 2016 General Election: 1,054,564. This is the first time in history that King County Elections received and processed more than 1 million ballots. In 2012, 993,908 ballots were returned and 978,377 processed.
So what caused the increase in ballots cast? Was it more voter turnout? Not exactly. We add about 100,000 new registered voters each year. And over the last year, we canceled the registration of about 58,000 voters, mostly people who have moved away from the county.
The boost in new registered voters is largely due to the county’s steady population growth. King County’s population grew from about 1.5 million residents in 1990 to over 2 million in 2015, an increase of 36%. The county’s growth rate is faster than the overall U.S. population growth of 29% from 1990 to 2015. King County’s population growth over the years reflects a national trend of people moving to cities. Seattle, Bellevue, Kent and Renton saw their populations increase over the last decade.
We did not, however, set a record for voter turnout. Of the county’s estimated 1.28 million registered voters, about 82% cast a ballot. Voter turnout was 85% in 2012.
Drop Boxes with the Most Ballot Returns
At King County Elections, we’re all about making the voting process easier and more convenient. That’s why we rolled out 33 new ballot drop boxes in time for the General Election. About 91% of county residents now live within 3 miles of a drop box. And you know what? The extra coverage paid off. More than half (51.4%) of all returned ballots were brought to a drop box!
That got us thinking: which drop boxes had the highest ballot returns? Out of the 43 total drop boxes, here are the top 20.
1. Ballard Branch Library: 39,282
2. King County Elections Building: 31,896
3. Crossroads Shopping Center: 24,332
4. Redmond City Hall: 23,317
5. King County Administration Building: 22,602
6. Federal Way City Hall: 22,289
7. Burien City Hall: 19,630
8. University of Washington Campus – Schmitz Hall: 18,985
9. Bellevue Regional Library: 18,559
10. Issaquah City Hall: 17,631
11. Shoreline Library: 16,949
12. Seattle Central College – Broadway-Edison Building: 16,396
13. Lake City Library: 15,435
14. Lake Forest Park City Hall: 14,619
15. High Point Library: 14,614
16. Regional Justice Center: 14,373
17. Green Lake Community Center: 13,691
18. Covington Library: 13,539
19. Sammamish City Hall: 13,371
20. Fairwood Library: 12,535
Meet the Canvassing Board
The King County Canvassing Board is a public entity that conducts a formal assessment of the election. The assessment includes reviewing vote totals, determining the validity of challenged ballots, certifying the vote and administering a recount.
Canvassing Board meetings take place at the King County Elections office in Renton. All meetings are public. State law mandates that the county auditor – or commensurate official – serve as the Canvassing Board chair. Other members are the county prosecuting attorney and the chair of the county legislative body. Let’s meet the board!
Julie Wise
Director of King County Elections
Julie Wise started as a temporary King County Elections employee in 2000 when she fell in love with the voting process. She served as the Deputy Director of Elections before being elected Director in November 2015. Wise is a Washington State certified Election Administrator and is a nationally Certified Election Registration Administrator.
Kevin Wright
Prosecuting Attorney’s Office Designee
Kevin is the Chief Civil Deputy Prosecuting Attorney for King County. Kevin manages civil legal matters for the county and oversees 55 prosecutors. He has served on the Canvassing Board since 2008. Kevin earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University Of Washington School Of Law and a bachelor’s degree from Western Washington University.
Carolyn Busch
King County Council Representative
Carolyn is the Chief of Staff for the King County Council. She has a 25-year-long career in public policy that includes working for the state Senate Democratic Caucus and advising Governors Booth Gardner and Gary Locke on K-12 and higher education policy. Carolyn holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Washington.
Canvassing Board meetings are open to the public, so stop by! View the Canvassing Board schedule to see when the board meets next.
Election Connection 