King County ballot safety at forefront for election workers

KING COUNTY, Wash. — Staff at King County Election headquarters are focusing on accuracy and ballot safety on Tuesday ahead of the big count at 8 p.m.

Each ballot is scanned for issues, sorted, documented, and then counted as part of a nine-step process that ensures accuracy for all 1.4 million registered King County voters.

King County Elections Chief of Staff Kendall Hodson said they had a significant early voter turnout that will help them get through the ballots quickly.

“We already have 900,000 ballots so far, it’s roughly a 60% turnout so far, that is more than we thought,” Hodson said.

The ballots will be coming in on trucks all day and likely into the night as people cast their last-minute votes.

On Tuesday, the ballot boxes will be heavily monitored to ensure every voter and ballot is protected from any hecklers.

Hodson said it’s important people know they are taking this important day seriously.

“First and foremost, voters should have complete confidence at dropping their ballot at boxes. They’re 1,000 pounds worth of steel with different safety features. Our drivers will get them multiple times today they won’t be in there long,” Hodson said.

If you are dropping off your ballot on Tuesday, then your safety is top of mind as well.

“This is the most coordination we have ever seen, between election agencies and local law enforcement and federal agencies to show us what to keep an eye out for,” Hodson said.

And once they are here in the building? Ballots can’t be harmed.

“We have 24/7 security at our headquarters and badge access just to this floor. We have a secure second floor in and out with a badge. We have the ballots stored in a secured room where you need a fingerprint to get in those rooms,” Hodson said.

On Tuesday night, processed ballots will shoot through the counting machine, eventually revealing who Washington chose as president and governor.

“There’s a lot of anxiety around this election, but folks shouldn’t have anxiety about what we do here,” Hodson said. “Our team has been doing this for years they’re professionals who are ready and able and excited to do this work.”

Election workers say we will see initial results coming in within minutes of that 8 p.m. ballot box closing deadline, but the election results won’t actually be legally certified in 17 days.

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