King County Council approves increase in voter ballot drop-off boxes

King County voters will have more places to drop off their ballots without a stamp.

The Metropolitan King County Council on Monday approved a plan to increase ballot drop-off boxes throughout the county, including a site to be determined on Kent’s East Hill and at Highline College in Des Moines. The county will keep a drop box at the Maleng Regional Justice Center in downtown Kent.

Nineteen new drop box locations will be available for the August Primary Election, with 14 new drop box locations in place for the November General Election.

“Voters want more drop boxes, and King County is delivering,” said Council Vice Chair Rod Dembowski, the co-sponsor of the motion, in a county media release. “Our goal is to increase convenience and lower barriers to voting. This new plan is a big step forward in improving access.”

The estimated cost of the project is $239,695, according to county documents.

With the transition to all-mail voting, the council has been reviewing options to increase access to voters who were unable to mail their ballots and were not near the limited number of ballot drop-off locations.

“Providing secure and accessible elections is a fundamental responsibility of county government and I am glad there will be more ballot drop boxes all over South King County,” said Budget Chair Dave Upthegrove. “I worked hard to make sure that these drop boxes will best serve our diverse communities and look forward to seeing them installed during the coming months.”

The council adopted a motion requesting the Director of Elections to present a plan looking at opportunities to increase the number of drop boxes available to voters in all nine council districts. Elections compiled a list of more than 100 sites to consider as drop box locations including public libraries, current ballot drop-off locations, suggestions from local jurisdictions, community partners, the voting public, the King County Council and the King County Executive’s Office.

The adopted plan will have Elections install 33 drop boxes at new drop box sites and seven drop boxes to replace those at existing drop box sites and extend the useful life of three drop boxes at current drop box locations.

The plan includes drop boxes at 24 public libraries and three in geographically isolated communities on Vashon Island, Southeast King County and East King County.

Ballot drop-off sites:

Lake City Library

Lake Forest Park City Hall

Shoreline Library

Bothell Regional Library

New Holly Library

Skyway Library

Rainier Community Center (TBD)

Beacon Hill Library

University of Washington

Redmond City Hall

Woodinville Library

Issaquah City Hall

Sammamish City Hall

Snoqualmie Library

Ballard Library

Broadview Library

Green Lake Library

Election  Headquarters (Renton)

Valley View Library

RJC-Kent

Highline College (TBD)

Kent East Hill (TBD)

Crossroads Shopping Center

Kirkland City Hall

Kingsgate Library

Bellevue Regional Library

Federal Way City Hall

Auburn Library

Algona-Pacific  Library

Muckleshoot Library

White Center Library

Burien Library/City Hall

High Point Library

KC Administration Building

International District (TBD)

South Park Library

Vashon Library

Capitol Hill (TBD)

Fairwood Library

Renton Highlands (TBD)

Enumclaw Library

Tahoma School Dist. Bldg.

Covington Library