Drafter
Clerk 4/24/2007
Title
A MOTION creating a consulting group to propose locations for regional voting centers and ballot drop boxes.
Body
WHEREAS, in 2005, the Washington state legislature amended Title 29A RCW to allow counties the option of conducting all elections by mail, and
WHEREAS, the number of King County voters who vote by absentee ballot currently fluctuates between approximately seventy and eighty percent in any given election, and
WHEREAS, sixty-two percent of all registered voters in King County are currently registered to automatically vote by absentee ballot, and
WHEREAS, on December 20, 2005 King County Executive Ron Sims announced his desire to adopt an all mail voting system in King County, and
WHEREAS, the council on June 19, 2006, passed Ordinance 15523 authorizing the director of the records, elections and licensing services division to conduct all elections entirely by mail ballot in accordance with state laws beginning in 2007 or 2008 as determined by the director if certain conditions are met, and
WHEREAS, conducting all elections in King County by mail will allow the county to focus resources and systems to gain efficiencies and increase security by limiting dependency on human interaction and ballot handling, and
WHEREAS, the council on November 20, 2006, adopted Ordinance 15652, which included a budget proviso requesting a plan and schedule for the transition to vote by mail and information regarding regional voting centers and ballot drop boxes;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT MOVED by the Council of King County:
The council approves the county executive's creation of a consulting group composed of representatives from the following groups maintaining geographical and qualified major parties diversity: the King County elections section staff; the citizens' elections oversight committee; the metropolitan King County council staff, as designated by the council chair; the elections disability advisory committee; and...
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