Title
A MOTION approving a plan for regional voting centers and ballot drop boxes as required by Ordinance 15523.
Body
WHEREAS, on June 19, 2006, the council adopted Ordinance 15523 establishing that King County will conduct elections entirely by mail beginning in 2007 or 2008 only after certain conditions had been met, and
WHEREAS, Ordinance 15523 requires that the council approve by motion a plan for regional voting centers and ballot drop boxes, and
WHEREAS, King County currently plans to hold all-mail elections beginning in February 2009, and
WHEREAS, in order to facilitate the orderly planning and implementation of regional voting centers and ballot drop boxes, the council is committed to making a timely decision to determine the locations of these facilities;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT MOVED by the Council of King County:
A. This motion constitutes a plan for regional voting centers and ballot drop boxes as required in Ordinance 15523, Section 2 C.
B. Regional voting centers shall be located in:
1. The elections division headquarters building in Renton;
2. Union Station in downtown Seattle; and
3. Bellevue city hall.
C. The regional voting center in Renton shall be open for twenty days including election day. The regional voting centers in Seattle and Bellevue shall be open for four days including election day.
D. Ballot drop boxes shall be located in accordance with Attachment A to this motion.
E. The number and location of regional voting centers shall not be changed without prior approval of the council by motion.
F. Notwithstanding subsection E. of this motion, if an emergency makes it impossible to use one or more regional voting centers for an election, the director of the elections division may find alternate facilities to serve as regional voting centers and must notify the council in writing of the actions being taken, by filing eleven copies with the clerk of the council for distribution to all councilmembers.
G. The location of ballot drop boxes may from time to time be changed to meet the needs of the organizations that host the ballot drop boxes. However, the relocation, removal or addition of ballot drop boxes shall not occur until the director of the elections division has notified the council in writing, by filing eleven copies with the clerk of the council for distribution to all councilmembers.
H. The director of the elections division shall work with organizations that
advocate on behalf of persons with disabilities and with Metro transit to ensure that adequate transportation is available to regional voting centers for voters with disabilities.