(Image: Fecki via Flickr)
A plan to boost sagging voter turnout numbers by quadrupling the number of ballot drop boxes around King County is beginning to take shape — with public libraries at the center. The only question on Capitol Hill is where, exactly, the new box would go.
A King County Council committee will consider the proposal for 43 ballot drop locations next week. Of the locations deemed feasible for 2016, 24 of them are located at public libraries.
The proposal utilizes a variety of factors including equity and turnout rates in determining which locations to prioritize. In the Central District, a proposed box at the Douglass-Truth branch library made the cut but won’t be installed in time for 2016 votes. The Montlake library, for example, did not. Capitol Hill qualified for a new drop box but there are two locations under consideration — one on Harvard Ave E at the Capitol Hill library branch, the other at Seattle Central. Here are the scorecards for the Hill proposals and the Central District box:
The CD box is currently categorized as “other locations rated as feasible but not available in 2016” — the Hill box would be on track for deployment by November as part of “14 additional locations rated as feasible or desirable.” You’ll also have the existing box at the 4th Ave King County Administration building and a proposed new box in the International District to consider. Meanwhile, a proposed drop box at UW would be in place before the summary primary.
According to the county’s announcement on the plan, the ballot drop boxes would be deployed in a “two-phase installation” with 29 available for the August 2 primary and 14 more boxes available for the November 8 general election bringing the total to 43. “All locations are contingent on approval by the King County Council and on final agreement with property owners,” the announcement notes.
The Stranger reports that the current plan would add four drop boxes in Southeast Seattle, an area without any existing boxes where voter participation has lagged.
In 2011, Washington shifted to all-mail elections but the percentage of eligible voters participating in the 2014 midterm election fell below 40%. According to the county’s proposal, the ballot drop boxes are especially important for last-minute voters:
The new boxes will cost around $240,000.
CHS first reported on the proposal in February. “We should make it as easy as possible to exercise the right to vote and this is a good step in that direction,” elections director Julie Wise said. King County Elections currently has ten 24-hour, permanent ballot drop boxes and 12 temporary ballot-drop vans with limited hours and days of operation.
The main lobby for the Capitol Hill Light Rail Station is dry, cavernous, well-lit, visible from the street and has a constant supply of potential voters going past it. It’s easily accessible by foot, bike, light rail or by 8,10 or 43 buses.
(and you could probably “hover” your car nearby on Denny and run in with your ballot).
Why would that not be a better location than the library?
Well, that’s just brilliant! +1
Great idea. How about ballot boxes at all LINK stations?
Is there really a need for this? After all, how many people just run out and drop their ballot into a mailbox at the last minute?? I mean really, do we envision George and Martha Sitting around the dining room table and realizing at the last minute that they forgot to vote, then racing out to drop it in the box?! I fail to see how this encourages responsible voting, and seems like a huge waste of money. For the record, I definitely think we need to make voting easier, such as what Oregon did with registering voters when they get their drivers license. Further, if I am mistaken about how much said dropbox would be used, I’d actually like that because it would mean that more people are interested in participating than I thought. I wish everyone placed importance on exercising their civic duty by voting, but this instance does seem to be a boondoggle
This is the only thing I ever need stamps for any more, and believe it or not, I have forgotten over and over to get stamps and then failed to get my ballot in on time. It would make it much, much easier for me to remove that step. Plus, I don’t believe we should have to pay to vote.
The library gets my vote, but the light rail station is also a great idea if it would be easier for more people.
“Do we imagine George and Martha sitting around the dining room table and realizing at the last minute that they forgot to vote, then racing out to drop it in the box?”
I imagine your house runs differently than mine, but this is exactly what happens. I fil out the ballot days or weeks beforehand, but then it sits around waitning to get submitted. Not because I’m irresponsible, but because I have a whole lotta stuff going on in my life and I work long hours, and I order even the tiniest tasks in my life by how time-sensitive they are. And like the previous poster, this is literally the only remaining item I need stamps for, and I rarely have them at home. I’m someone who is going to vote no matter what, so I’ll make it happen on Tuesday evening come hell or high water, but others won’t. Plus the very idea that you have to pay to vote, no matter how small the amount, is pretty antithetical to democracy.
“Do we imagine George and Martha sitting around the dining room table and realizing at the last minute that they forgot to vote, then racing out to drop it in the box?”
No, we envision George and Martha saying, “oh, shit, we never got stamps. Where can we drop this NOW? Downtown? Oh, screwit, never mind”. And then not voting.
Yes, we absolutely DO need more of these.
I always forget about the stamp issue, which I agree is BS. We usually have a few lying around, but that’s because just like the rest, we rarely use them for anything anymore to. Color me corrected:-)
“Is there really a need for this? After all, how many people just run out and drop their ballot into a mailbox at the last minute??”
Your ignorance is really no reflection on reality.
People do, and in number.
The more voters, the better. Your snottiness and back-patting are great for you, this move is great for America.
A drop box at Douglass-Truth would be great. We used to have a mailbox there, but they took it away during the construction and I have no idea if it’s coming back or not. I can’t do outgoing mail from my house since we have a postal box around the corner that all the houses on my block use instead, so the mail carrier doesn’t even come to our house. Jseattle, do you know why they took away the mailbox on 23rd and Yesler? Any word if it’s coming back?
The mailbox in front of Douglass-Truth was moved to the sidewalk in front of Red Apple on Jackson between 23rd and 25th.
My impression is that the USPS has a policy now of removing as many mailboxes as they can, probably to save labor costs. There used to be one at the SE corner of E Thomas & Broadway, but it was removed for construction and never replaced. Same thing on 12th one block south of Denny.
And they haven’t even installed a mailbox outside the new location on Broadway….there is only one inside, which means you have to mail during the times they are open. Really poor customer service!
Blame Congress for the USPS having to institute ever more austere cost-cutting measures.
They need to be in secure locations. Mail-in ballots have not increased voter participation. In fact, it has dropped. Further study is needed to understand all possible reasons for this.Some of the best voter participation occurred when people had a choice to sign up for mail-in or go to the polls.
I doubt very much that drop boxes will significantly increase voter participation. The main factor, by far, is apathy.
I am thinking that KC is planning inside the libraries, maybe wrong.
I’d go to my polling place like clock work. Can’t remember missing an election. It was only a few blocks away! For some reason that’s more convenient than vote-by-mail, in my mind. I’m not sure why. It might be the stamp issue (where did I put those again?), with lingering anxiety about post-marks and mail pick-up times. Who mails anything anymore? I even file my taxes online!
I have made the trip down to 4th a couple of times to drop off my ballot. More drop boxes is a no-brainer to me. Do it. It’s needed.
Couldn’t they just do some deal with the post office for a good rate on something like business reply mail? I’m sure if the entire state negotiated a rate it would be far, far cheaper than what we pay as individuals to vote.