King County Elections celebrates newly installed ballot drop boxes and Council funding for further drop box expansion

In preparation for this year’s elections, King County Elections has recently installed five new official ballot drop boxes and today celebrated the brand-new drop box at Northgate Library in North Seattle. These latest additions bring the county’s total to 90 ballot drop boxes. King County Council recently passed funding for additional drop box locations and security improvements ahead of this November’s midterm elections.

King County Director of Elections Julie Wise was joined by King County Councilmembers Rod Dembowski and Jorge Barón and Seattle Public Libraries Chief Librarian Tom Fay to cut the ribbon on the new ballot drop box at Northgate Library, and to celebrate the Council's recent budget decision that will improve access for voters across the county this fall. 

“Despite all of the attempts to undermine vote-by-mail and free and fair elections in this country, we here in King County are doing all we can to make sure our voters can make their vote count and their voice heard,” stated King County Director of Elections Julie Wise. “I am so grateful to Councilmembers Dembowski and Barón for their leadership in securing this funding to even further increase accessibility and security in our elections. With it, we will reach 100 ballot drop boxes by the November General Election and bring a drop box even closer to thousands of voters across the county.”

The five newest drop box locations include the Seattle Central Library in downtown Seattle, Northgate Library in North Seattle, Skykomish Community Center, Bellevue College, and at the Kent-Kangley Safeway in Kent. Work is currently underway to site and place an additional ten drop boxes.

“I’m proud to have sponsored the ballot drop box expansion legislation in 2015,” said King County Councilmember Rod Dembowski. “Our new budget expands the system further and enhances security features. Under the leadership of Elections Director Julie Wise, we have built out a robust network of 90 secure ballot drop boxes in every part of King County. Voters have shown their strong approval in election after election, with more than 66% returning their ballot to a drop box last November. Our system is safe, secure and ensures your vote is timely received and gets counted. That’s more important than ever in light of repeated efforts by the federal government to meddle with our elections and politicize the United States Postal Service.” 

“Whether located at a library, community center, or streetside, ballot drop boxes are a secure, convenient, and accessible way for voters to return their ballot. Through actions like opening more ballot drop boxes, King County is expanding opportunities to vote at a time when the federal administration is actively working to put more barriers into place. I encourage residents to explore all the tools King County Elections offers to make voting easier and more transparent, such as ballot tracking and text reminders,” said King County Councilmember Jorge Barón.

In addition to new drop box locations, the funding approved by Council will include security improvements, such as upgraded fire suppressants and a drop box monitoring system that will provide real-time data if a drop box is accessed or tampered with. Planning and preparation are already underway to implement these security improvements ahead of the November General Election.

###