With Thurston County’s Feb. 13 special election now just over five weeks away, the Thurston County Auditor’s Office issued a news release providing voters information about observers, ballot processing, voting assistance locations, vote audit procedures and more.
The special election will have residents voting on a variety of school district levies, including districts in Yelm, Rainier, Tumwater, Tenino, Rochester and Centralia. To view a sample ballot, visit http://tinyurl.com/2w4wbw7p.
Anyone who is interested is invited to be an observer for all aspects of the election process, with live-streaming options also available. Those interested must call the Thurston County Auditor’s Office at 360-786-5408 to make arrangements.
Voters’ guide pamphlets will be mailed out the week of Jan. 15, and regular ballots will be sent to the post office for delivery on Jan. 24.
For those who need assistance with voting, the Thurston County Election Office Voting Center — located at 2400 Evergreen Park Drive SW in Olympia — has accessible voting devices along with in-person and drive-thru service available.
It will be open Monday through Friday starting Jan. 24 through Feb. 12 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Feb. 13, election day.
Thirty ballot drop boxes are also available throughout Thurston County. A full list of ballot drop box locations, open approximately 20 days prior to election day until 8 p.m. on election night, can be found on the election office’s website here http://tinyurl.com/3kbwp3bw.
Electioneering — the act of wearing or displaying campaign paraphernalia and signs for or against candidates or ballot measures — is strictly prohibited within 100 feet of a voting center’s entrance or within 25 feet of a ballot drop box.
Weapons, both concealed and openly carried, are also strictly prohibited from any voting center, the election office, voter registration office and the student engagement hub. No weapons, both concealed and openly carried, may be possessed in any ballot counting centers or areas of facilities used for ballot counting per state law.
The Thurston County Ballot Processing Center — located at 2905 29th Ave. SW, suite F, in Tumwater — began a logic and accuracy test for the special elections accessible voting devices on Jan. 8 at 9 a.m., and will test the tabulation system for logic and accuracy on Jan. 9 at 10 a.m.
Ballot processing will begin on Jan. 30 and continue through the election certification process, which will occur on March 1.
Audits of randomly selected precincts will be conducted on Feb. 15 at 9 a.m. at the Ballot Processing Center.
A risk-limiting audit of election results, which demonstrates accuracy and is open to the public, will also be held at the Ballot Processing Center on Feb. 20 at 9 a.m.
The Thurston County Canvassing Board meets at the Ballot Processing Center on Feb. 16 at 9 a.m., Feb. 22 at 10 a.m. and Feb. 23 at 10 a.m. for certification.
Unofficial election results will be available on Feb. 13, election night, after 8 p.m., with additional counts being conducted if needed with the final count ending at 5 p.m. on Feb. 22.
Updated election results will be available on the Election Office’s website here http://thurstonwavotes.gov/, after each count is complete.
For more information, call 360-786-5408.
