On Wednesday, the Thurston County Auditor’s Office and Timberland Regional Library announced a push to encourage voting with the “Urge Your Neighbor to Vote Challenge.”
The goal is to up voter turnout in participating jurisdictions. Areas with the highest voter turnout per registered voter will be announced after the Nov. 7 general election.
To participate, frequent voters are asked to host social events where they can help other voters fill out and submit their ballots.
The auditor’s office is asking cities and other municipalities in the upcoming election to join in the challenge campaign and to pass resolutions that celebrate voter registration.
"Voter participation often declines in local elections because voters feel less informed than in higher-profile elections,” said Mary Hall, Thurston County auditor.
With social events, Hall and Cheryl Heywood, director of the Timberland Library System, hope to combat that issue.
The auditor’s office and Timberland have compiled toolkits regular voters can use to plan low-pressure activities to engage their neighbors. “Ballot Party” kits, according to a news release from the auditor, will be available starting Oct. 18 at the Olympia, West Olympia, Lacey, Hawks Prairie, Tumwater and Tenino library branches.
“One of the most fun and useful things voters can do is hold a ballot party,” Hall said. “These events are fun and a great way to share information and walk-through filling out the ballot.”
Participants can record their activities via an online form at the Thurston County website at ThurstonWAVotes.gov.
“Local voters, who are frequent voters and the most well-informed, often have the best information about local issues and candidates. We want to use that knowledge to increase voter turnout in our community,” Heywood said, later adding, “We hope to make voting more accessible and engaging for everyone.”
She said the goal of the program was to increase the amount of people who vote, not to get people to vote in “any particular way.”
“We believe that this campaign can make a real difference in increasing voter turnout and strengthening civic participation in Thurston County,” Hall said.
Visit the Thurston County website at ThurstonWAVotes.gov for more information about the Urge Your Neighbor to Vote challenge, including guides for hosting a ballot party or other social events.
