Showing posts with label elections. Show all posts
Showing posts with label elections. Show all posts

King county elections is NOT calling you

Friday, May 14, 2021

From King county elections office

We've heard from some voters who have received a call saying: “Dear postal customers, if you are planning to vote by mail, you need to act early. Stay on hold or call your local elections office to verify your mail ballot.”

These calls are NOT from King County Elections.

While you're always welcome and encouraged to call us to check or update your voter reg record, we urge you not to give out personal info when you're unsure of who is asking for it.

You can also always check your registration at http://VoteWA.gov



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Shoreline Parks Bond fails to validate - so measure fails by 122 votes

Saturday, May 8, 2021

Parks (in red) would have been in the new bond issue. Parks (in orange) in the previous bond.

Shoreline voters showed strong support for Proposition 1, a park bond levy for park improvements and park land acquisitions.

Over 72% of those casting ballots approved the measure, well above the 60% vote required for passage.

However, the number of valid votes cast fell short of the mark by 122 ballots.

State law also requires that for a bond measure to ‘validate,’ at least 40% of the number of votes cast in the previous general election, which was in November 2020, need to be cast in the election in question.

This election needed 14,092 valid ballots. The certified election results show 13,970 votes cast, 122 votes short of the amount needed for validation.

You can see below the votes required and those received:


As you can see, the biggest issue is that over 21,000 people who voted in November didn't bother to vote in April. 

When you drill down to individual ballots: some people didn't sign their ballots, needed to verify their signatures, got late to the drop box, or even left their ballots on top of the drop boxes after the deadline.

Passage of Proposition 1 would have authorized improvements to eight parks and the acquisition and improvement of new park land.

Betsy Robertson, Chair of Shoreline Parks For All, worked until the last possible second, trying to contact the voters who needed to verify their signatures.

I’ve been keeping a low profile as I come to terms with, and mourn, the results of our April special election. We knew there would be overwhelming support, but a 72% YES vote exceeded expectations! đź’š Thank you.
 
The challenge was always going to be turnout.

I’m crushed... but not giving up.
 
I hope we get a chance to vote on this again. I hope the folks who simply forgot or couldn’t be bothered to participate will realize how much their voice actually matters and could have made the difference.
 
I hope the people I bird-dogged over the last month will forgive me and recognize how important every last reminder to turn in ballots and every effort to spread the word was needed. And I wish I had done even more.
 
The small but mighty group that made up our campaign did Herculean work. I will be honored to work with them again. WHEN... not if... we have the opportunity to advocate for parks in Shoreline again.

On June 14, 2021, the Shoreline City Council will discuss whether to place the bond measure on a future ballot.



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Shoreline Parks Bond to be certified on Friday May 7; Thursday deadline for curing signatures

Monday, May 3, 2021

As of Friday, April 30, 2021, the Shoreline Parks Bond was short by 184 valid ballots. 

There were 177 ballots on hand with missing or questionable signatures which were not counted.

Those signatures can be "cured" but the deadline for paperwork is Thursday, May 6, 2021. Even if all 177 ballots were cured, the measure would still need an additional 7 ballots to be validated.

Unlike election rules which allow ballots which are postmarked on or before election day to be counted, this paperwork has to be received by Thursday.

Halei Watkins at King county elections says

"If a voter sees that their ballot is not counted on our ballot tracker, it’s likely due to an issue with their signature. The ballot tracker should point them to the correct form to fill out to get that fixed but if they don’t see it there or have any questions, they should definitely give us a call at 206-296-VOTE (8683) and our team can help get them what they need.

"If it is a signature issue, they just need to fill out a simple form and get it back to us. We do have to receive those forms by Thursday, May 6 at 4:30pm as we certify this election on Friday. The fastest way to get the form back to us is to take a clear photo or scan and email it to voter.services@kingcounty.gov 

"They can also drop it off in person to our office in Renton or the drop box outside the King County Administration building in downtown Seattle, 500 4th Ave, Seattle, WA 98104."
Updated ballots counts will be released on Monday and through the week until the final count on Friday.


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CORRECTION: Shoreline Parks Bond needs 184 valid ballots

Sunday, May 2, 2021

Make sure your ballot was counted
Our previous article about 7 ballots needed to pass the Shoreline Parks Bond was not quite correct.

I was using the 'ballots returned' figure, rather than the 'ballots counted' figure.

So validation is 14,092 valid ballots counted
Ballots counted 13,908 as of Friday April 30, 2021

Therefore an additional 184 good ballots are needed

Ballots returned 14,085
Ballots counted 13,908
On hand, needed to be cured 177

The measure is 184 ballots short of passing. 177 ballots are on hand but have not been counted because of signature issues. If the person who cast the ballot verifies their signature (cures the ballot) it will be counted.

So the bond would need all 177 ballots to be cured, plus an additional 7 good ballots to come in.


If you are one of the 177 here how to "cure" your ballot:

Check here to see if your ballot was counted 

  • If the problem was a Missing Signature - the form is HERE
  • If the problem was a signature that didn't match, the Signature Update form is HERE

Fill out the simple form and fax or email it to the King county elections department.

King County Elections Department  
Fax 206-296-0108 
Phone: 206-296-VOTE (8683)

Do you need help?

If you don't have a fax or have trouble downloading the form and attaching it to an email send an email to the Shoreline Parks for All volunteers and someone will be happy to help you: shorelineparksforall@gmail.com

--Diane Hettrick



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Chasing ballots: was your vote counted? Parks bond needs 7 ballots to pass

Saturday, May 1, 2021

200 ballots will not be counted - is one of them yours?

Because the Shoreline Parks Bond was technically a new measure, it has to meet the validation requirement: 40 percent of the number of people voting in November's presidential election.

In Shoreline the validation number is 14,092

Ballots turned in so far: 14,085

The ten year Shoreline parks bond is 7 ballots short of passing

There are over 200 ballots that will not be counted because the signature is missing or doesn't match your signature on file. Signatures change over time - you may not notice but the elections department does.

If you are one of the 200 - you can fix this.

Check here to see if your ballot was counted 

  • If the problem was a Missing Signature - the form is HERE
  • If the problem was a signature that didn't match, the Signature Update form is HERE

Fill out the simple form and fax or email it to the King county elections department.

King County Elections Department  
Fax 206-296-0108 
Phone: 206-296-VOTE (8683)

Do you need help?

If you don't have a fax or have trouble downloading the form and attaching it to an email send an email to the Shoreline Parks for All volunteers and someone will be happy to help you: shorelineparksforall@gmail.com

King county does mail out these forms to people whose ballots have signature issues but people may not realize they need to respond.



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Shoreline Parks Bond needs 44 more ballots to validate

Friday, April 30, 2021

Photo courtesy King county elections
After over 14,000 votes cast, Shoreline's Parks Bond is 44 votes shy of validation. 

Ballots may still trickle in from mailed ballots but this election has gone from nail-biter to cliff-hanger.

Required number of ballots to validate the election:14,092

Number of ballots received so far: 14,048
Number of additional ballots needed: 44

Yes votes are not the problem

Yes votes needed: 8,455
Yes votes cast: 9,961


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Election results as of April 28, 2021; Parks bond needs another 109 ballots to validate the election

Thursday, April 29, 2021

Photo courtesy King county elections
April 28 election update for three local measures

The Shoreline Parks bond has more than enough Yes votes, but needs another 109 ballots to validate the election. 

Northshore Fire will not merge with Woodinville. And Shoreline Fire will continue funding with the fire benefit charge.


Lake Forest Park / Kenmore
The Northshore fire department merger is being rejected 80% to 20%. Only a 50% vote was required.

Shoreline Fire
The benefit charge is being approved by 85%. Only 50% was required. 

Shoreline Parks Bond

Required number of ballots to validate the election:14,092
Number of ballots received so far: 13,983
Number of additional ballots needed: 109

Required number of Yes votes required to pass: 8,455
Yes votes cast: 9,948



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Election results for Shoreline and Lake Forest Park April 27

Tuesday, April 27, 2021

Counting ballots at King County
By Diane Hettrick

The first results have been posted for the three measures on our local ballots.

Northshore Fire

The merger of the Northshore Fire District 16 (Lake Forest Park / Kenmore) into Woodinville Fire and Rescue is being rejected.

8481 Ballots were returned as of Apr 27
7445 of those have been counted

5759 rejected the merger
1680 approved the merger

This measure requires only a simple majority to pass. If the rest of the ballots keep the same 77-23% balance, the merger has no chance.

Shoreline Fire

Shoreline has always supported its fire department - new fire stations, ladder trucks, training and education facilities - so this measure to reauthorize the fire benefit charge funding method would have been a ho-hum election - except for Northshore Fire.

Shoreline and Lake Forest Park share a long border and two state highways. Unless you live on the border, most people don't pay attention to where those borders are. So all those "No on Prop 1" "Hell No" and "Support our Firefighters" signs were just confusing. Of course they were all about Northshore and nothing to do with Shoreline.

In the end, the voters seem to have figured it out.

Ballots returned 11,801 as of April 27
Ballots counted 10,753 as of April 27
Yes votes 9,038 85%
No votes 1,630 15%

Since this reauthorization needs only a simple majority, I think it's safe to say that this one passes.

Shoreline Parks

This measure would authorize a 20 year bond to do major upgrades to five parks and the ability to purchase land for parks.

Because it was technically new, it has a validation requirement. 

The number of ballots returned have to exceed 40% of the ballots cast in the presidential election.
Of the ballots returned, 60% have to be Yes votes.

With 35,231 people voting last November, that means that 14,092 ballots need to be returned. So far 11,801 have been returned and 2,291 more are needed.

The 60% Yes vote threshold is 8,455. So far there are 7,570 Yes votes and 885 more are needed. 

It is possible to have the sufficient number of Yes votes, but still not have the total number of ballots returned in order to validate the election.

This one is a nail-biter.

King county elections will release new counts every day.


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VOTE - Tuesday is the deadline

Monday, April 26, 2021

   VOTE!   

Dig your ballot out from under that pile of papers, mark your choice(s), and turn it in.

This is a very consequential election. Lake Forest Park / Kenmore will decide if they want to maintain their Northshore fire department or merge it with Woodinville.

Shoreline voters need to reauthorize a measure to keep funding their Shoreline Fire department and decide whether they want to finish developing their parks over the next 20 years.

Tuesday is the deadline. If you mail it, the postmark has to be no later than Tuesday, April 27, 2021. That means you need to get it in before the last mail pick up of the day and every location has a different time.

If you take it to a dropbox (please do!) you have to get your ballot in the drop box by 8pm, Tuesday, April 27, 2021.

Drop box locations:
  • Shoreline Aurora Park n Ride, 192nd and Aurora
  • Shoreline Library, NE 175th and 5th NE
  • Lake Forest Park City Hall, Town Center, intersection Bothell and Ballinger Way
  • Other locations here
--Diane Hettrick


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Do you have questions about Shoreline Fire's Prop 1?

Thursday, April 22, 2021

By Diane Hettrick

Shoreline Fire Chief Matt Cowan


Shoreline Fire Department has a measure on the special election ballot to reauthorize the charges that Shoreline property owners pay to maintain the fire department.

It would be a routine election if Northshore Fire were not also running a measure to merge with Woodinville.

It's a very contentious measure and Yes No and Hell No signs are all over LFP and Kenmore.

But it's nothing to do with the Shoreline Fire reauthorization.

Shoreline Fire Chief Matt Cowan would be happy to answer your questions. You can contact him by email mcowan@shorelinefire.com or call the main station number 206-533-6500.

And don't forget to turn your ballots in by April 27.



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UPDATE: The differences among Prop 1 and Prop 1 and Prop 1

Saturday, April 17, 2021

Shoreline Fire Chief Matt Cowan issued a short statement to let voters know the Shoreline Fire Prop 1 has nothing to do with the other Prop 1 measures

By Diane Hettrick

Considering that both Shoreline and Lake Forest Park have Prop 1 on their ballots, it's understandable that there is some confusion. To add to the confusion, Shoreline Fire has a measure on the Shoreline ballot to renew their benefit charge.

AND Shoreline Fire Chief Matt Cowan has reminded me that their renewal measure is ALSO CALLED PROP 1

Shoreline Fire benefit charge

This is a reauthorization of charges that Shoreline residents pay for fire protection and emergency services. 

There is no organized opposition.

Only Shoreline residents vote on this measure.

Northshore Fire measure
Photo by Diane Hettrick
Red signs

Lake Forest Park / Kenmore Prop 1 is about the proposed merger of two fire departments - Northshore, which serves LFP and Kenmore and Woodinville Fire and Rescue, which serves Woodinville.

The Northshore firefighters' union is strongly opposed and is placing red No signs all over both cities.

The city councils of Lake Forest Park and Kenmore voted unanimously to oppose the measure.

Only Lake Forest Park and Kenmore residents vote on this measure.

20 years of park improvements in Shoreline

Green signs

Shoreline Prop 1 is about a 20 year plan for major improvements on five existing parks and acquisition of new land for green spaces as the city fills up with multifamily buildings.

It is a renewal of an existing, expiring charge and will add a monthly amount of around $5 a month, depending on the value of your property. (see article on how to find out what you would pay)

There are Yes yard signs and people on corners waving Yes signs to support the parks proposition.

There is no organized opposition.

Only Shoreline residents vote on the Parks measure.


Turn in ALL ballots by Tuesday, April 27, 2021

You can take your ballot to any King county drop box. They all get sent to the same place.
  • 192nd and Aurora Park n Ride in the corner with the rain garden
  • Shoreline Library parking lot on the corner of NE 175th and 5th NE (remember you can't turn across 175th when you are headed west)
  • Lake Forest Park City Hall in the northeast corner of Town Center at the intersection of Bothell and Ballinger Way
  • You can also mail your ballot with no postage required.

There is a high validation requirement because of the turnout for the Presidential election, so voting - whether Yes or No - is important if you want your opinion heard.



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King County Elections to host Candidate Workshops in April to encourage people to run for local offices in 2021

Tuesday, April 13, 2021


King County Elections (KCE) will host virtual candidate workshops for people interested in learning the ins-and-outs of running for office. The workshops will be held to demystify the process by empowering potential candidates with key information they need to file their candidacy.

When:
  • Saturday, April 17, 10am – 12pm
  • Thursday, April 29, 10am – 12pm
Where: Virtual meeting over Zoom webinar

How: Click here or visit bit.ly/kingworkshops to choose a date and register.
This year there are over 330 local, nonpartisan offices up for election in King county.

“We know that one of the key reasons people don’t vote in local elections is because they don’t see candidates on the ballot who look like them or represent their community,” said Director of Elections Julie Wise. 
“These workshops are an opportunity for less experienced or first-time candidates to get information and ask questions directly from the team that will ultimately help them through the filing process.”

The workshops will cover a range of topics including the elections calendar, online candidate filing, filing fee petitions, ballot order, local voters’ pamphlet filing, and more.

“Running for office takes a tremendous amount of courage and even the most technical parts of the process can be intimidating. We want to make to make things as easy as possible,” stated Wise.

The workshops will be in preparation for the candidate filing period this year, which begins on Monday, May 17 through the following Friday, May 21. All Declarations of Candidacy must be received by King County Elections before the close of business on Friday, regardless of postmark.



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Prop 1 and Prop 1 and where to turn in your ballots

Monday, April 12, 2021

Considering that both Shoreline and Lake Forest Park have Prop 1 on their ballots, it's understandable that there is some confusion. To add to the confusion, Shoreline Fire has a measure on the Shoreline ballot to renew their benefit charge.



Green signs

Shoreline Prop 1 is about a 20 year plan for refurbishing existing parks and acquiring new land for green spaces as the city fills up with multifamily buildings.

It is a renewal of an existing, expiring charge and will add a monthly amount of around $5 a month, depending on the value of your property.

There are Yes yard signs and people on corners waving Yes signs to support the parks proposition.

Only Shoreline residents vote on the Parks measure.

Red signs

Lake Forest Park / Kenmore Prop 1 is about the proposed merger of two fire departments - Northshore, which serves LFP and Kenmore and Woodinville Fire and Rescue, which serves Woodinville.

The Northshore firefighters' union is strongly opposed and is placing red No signs around both cities.

Only Lake Forest Park and Kenmore residents vote on this measure.

Shoreline Fire benefit charge

This is a renewal of charges that Shoreline residents pay for fire protection and emergency services.

Only Shoreline residents vote on this measure.

Drop boxes

You can take your ballot to any King county drop box. They all get sent to the same place.
  • 192nd and Aurora Park n Ride in the corner with the rain garden
  • Shoreline Library parking lot on the corner of NE 175th and 5th NE (remember you can't turn across 175th when you are headed west)
  • Lake Forest Park City Hall in the northeast corner of Town Center at the intersection of Bothell and Ballinger Way
You can also mail your ballot with no postage required.

There is a high validation requirement because of the turnout for the Presidential election, so voting - whether Yes or No - is important if you want your opinion heard.

--Diane Hettrick


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Opinion: Woodinville Fire says that merger with Northshore Fire will save money and provide better service for customers

Saturday, March 6, 2021


KENMORE, Wash. – The Northshore Fire Department is asking its voters to approve merging with Woodinville Fire and Rescue during the April 27, 2021 Special Election. If approved by voters, property owners in Kenmore, Lake Forest Park, and Woodinville would immediately see an improvement in emergency services and pay less in taxes starting in 2022.

If the merger passes, Northshore property owners would save a projected $0.11 per $1,000 of assessed property value or 8.5% of the effective tax rate. Woodinville property owners would save a projected $0.07 per $1,000 or 5.6%. These are conservative estimates prepared by an independent third-party financial firm and are based on the most current data available. More efficient use of emergency personnel also could save taxpayers on overtime costs, which were nearly $1.8 million for both agencies in 2020. If the agencies were combined in the month of February, overtime savings alone would have exceeded $22,000.

Another benefit of merging is improved emergency services for residents and businesses. There would still be the same number of emergency personnel responding from local stations. However, operating as one agency would allow for more efficient deployment of emergency personnel and resources. There would be opportunities to place an additional fire engine or aid unit in service on certain days. For example, were the agencies combined in February 2021, there would have been at least one additional emergency response apparatus in service 20 out of 28 days, or 71 percent of the time.

Northshore residents also could see a savings in ambulance transport costs. Currently, Northshore routinely utilizes a for-profit private ambulance company for emergency medical transports, which charges patients a fee for transport services. Woodinville offers emergency medical transport at no additional cost to the patient. Fire Commissioners for both agencies agree, should the merger be approved by the voters, the new agency would adopt Woodinville’s practice and extend no-cost patient transports to the Northshore service area.

“Merging our two fire districts means better service for less cost,” said Northshore Interim Fire Chief Greg Ahearn. “This merger is in the best interest of the people we serve, and that’s what we are focused on.”

Chief Ahearn also serves as Fire Chief for Woodinville Fire and Rescue. The agencies have been sharing some administrative personnel and departments since February 2020 under an interlocal agreement.

Smaller fire agencies throughout King and Snohomish counties are partnering together to provide residents with better service and cost efficiencies. Northshore and Woodinville Fire are both strong operationally and financially and fund emergency services with a fire levy and fire benefit charge.

The merger initiative is scheduled for the April 27, 2021 Special Election. Because the Northshore Fire Department would merge into Woodinville Fire and Rescue, Northshore voters are the ones who vote on the proposal. If the merger is approved by voters, the new agency would have a name that reflects both service areas. 

More information on the proposed merger can be found on the fire districts’ websites at www.northshorefire.com or www.wf-r.org. Fire Chief Greg Ahearn also welcomes questions about the proposed merger at GAhearn@northshorefire.com.

Northshore Fire Department provides fire and emergency medical services to approximately 37,000 people over 10 square miles, including the cities of Lake Forest Park and Kenmore. Its emergency call volumes average 3,600 a year.

Woodinville Fire and Rescue provides fire and emergency medical services to approximately 37,000 people over 30 square miles. Its emergency call volumes average 4,000 a year.



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Shoreline Fire seeks volunteers for Pro and Con committees on Fire Benefit Charge to be on upcoming ballot

Friday, February 19, 2021

Shoreline Fire Training and Support Facility on Aurora
Photo by Steven H. Robinson

Shoreline Fire Chief Cowan is asking for anyone interested in forming a Pro or Con committee regarding their upcoming ballot measure re-authorizing the Fire Benefit Charge to contact him via email - mcowan@shorelinefire.com 

The deadline for emailing your interest in either committee is February 24, 2021 at 3pm.



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Council seeks volunteers for voters’ pamphlet pro and con committees for potential Shoreline Proposition 1: General Obligation Bonds Parks Improvements and Park Land Acquisition

Monday, January 18, 2021

Hillwood Park

At their January 11, 2021 meeting, the Shoreline City Council indicated they intend to move forward with placing a bond measure for parks improvements and park land acquisition on the April 27, 2021, special election ballot.

The measure could include money for parks improvements and park land acquisitions. Council is scheduled to make a final decision at their January 25 meeting.

Accompanying the April ballots will be the King County Voters’ Pamphlet. 

The pamphlet will include an explanatory statement from the City that states the effect of a bond measure if approved. 

In response will be statements in support and opposition to the ballot measure. 

State law requires the City Council to appoint two committees to draft the pro and con statements. 

The committees can have no more than three members each; however, the committees may seek advice from any person or persons. The committees will also have an opportunity to write a rebuttal statement to the other side’s statement.

Individuals interested in applying for one of the committee positions can fill out an online application. Applications are due by February 4 at 10:00am. 

The City Council will review the applications and appoint the committee members at its February 8 business meeting.

To learn more about the requirements for the voter’s pamphlet and the duties of the pro and con committees, review the 2021 Jurisdiction Manual at King County Elections.



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Culp for Governor campaign lawsuit dismissed

Saturday, January 16, 2021

Culp for Governor withdrew case
against Secretary of State
OLYMPIA — Late Thursday, January 14, 2021, the Culp for Governor campaign withdrew its case against Secretary of State Kim Wyman and several county auditors demanding an audit of Washington’s 2020 General Election. 

The notice of dismissal was filed “with prejudice,” meaning the lawsuit cannot be refiled.

“These unsubstantiated allegations were without merit and created confusion among Washington voters,” said Wyman. 
“Today we finally have an opportunity to shed light on some of the misleading and inaccurate assumptions made in this lawsuit, and can continue working to restore confidence with a swath of Washington’s electorate.”

Among its claims, the lawsuit alleged the Secretary of State and elections officials had failed to properly maintain voter registration lists

In review of the evidence submitted, the Office of the Secretary of State found the information was based on incomplete data and rife with errors, including lists of deceased voters who are in fact alive, voters who have moved but are in fact still eligible to vote in Washington, and so on. 

Specifically, the lawsuit identified by comparing the voter registration database and the U.S. Postal Service’s (USPS) National Change of Address (NCOA) list nearly 339,000 registered voters who had moved but their addresses were not up to date. 

However, election officials do not rely solely on NCOA data when verifying addresses, and steps to mitigate the risk of erroneous removal from the rolls are taken prior to updating a voter’s registration record. 

A vast majority of any perceived discrepancies in the data can be attributed to trivial factors, such as using “N” instead of “North” in a street address or the NCOA data listing a post office box instead of a residential address. Also, Washington voters who have their mail forwarded out of state may still be considered a resident for voting purposes.

The suit also alleged the Secretary of State had not run an NCOA update in at least four years, claiming “out of 5,236,436 addresses, only 117,543 had nine-digit zip codes.” 

Zip codes beyond the first five digits are not routinely stored because the additional digits change frequently. Prior to ballots being mailed in every election, mail houses reformat addresses to ensure consistency with USPS standards, including providing the additional four digits.

Election officials use several means to identify deceased voters, and an analysis of the more than 7,000 deceased voters the Culp for Governor campaign noted found these cases to be false. 
Samples analyzed by some counties found these claims to be baseless, as ballots returned by deceased people are valid so long as the voter was alive at the time they cast their ballot.

“As I have said before, I welcome anyone who has questions about Washington’s elections processes or who has substantive evidence of fraud to reach out to my office. I publicly invited Loren Culp to do the same, and he never contacted me or my office to share his concerns,” Wyman said. 




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Olympia shooter lives in Bellingham, not Shoreline

Tuesday, December 15, 2020

WSP is seeking individuals who were witnesses at the scene

According to an article in The Olympian newspaper, the man who shot and wounded another protester on the Capital Campus in Olympia Saturday was 25 year old Forest M. Machala of Bellingham.

He was charged Monday in Thurston County Superior Court on suspicion of first-degree assault while armed with a firearm. Bail was set at $50,000.

The victim was shot in the back, the bullet exiting through his abdomen. He underwent surgery at Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia.

State patrol previously reported that Machala lived in Shoreline but court documents indicate he has lived in Bellingham for five years.

At this point, it is unclear if he has any history in Shoreline.

The State Patrol is still looking for potential witnesses to the shooting.




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Secretary of State Kim Wyman issues statement about website threatening election officials

Secretary of State Kim Wyman

OLYMPIA — The Office of the Secretary of State over the weekend was made aware of a website that lists Washington state’s elections director Lori Augino among election officials nationwide who the site creators claim “have aided and abetted the fraudulent election against Trump.”
 
The site includes images of the officials, with crosshairs over their profiles, and home and email addresses. 

As president of the National Association of State Election Directors, Augino called the 2020 election “the most secure in American history,” with no evidence that any voting system deleted, lost, or manipulated votes.

The Department of Homeland Security and the FBI have been notified, as well as the Fusion Center in Washington state.

Secretary of State Kim Wyman issued the following:
“This continued escalation of harassing and threatening behavior in the public sphere has to stop. Sites like this are appalling, and have no space in our democracy and the peaceful transition of power.

“Washington’s 39 county election officials rose to the challenge, working tirelessly to accurately count more ballots than this state has ever seen and ensure that our election was accessible and secure, in spite of the pandemic.

"Though my office has yet to receive evidence of massive voter fraud, we take accusations of such seriously. When provided evidence, we work closely with county election officials to ensure instances are investigated and a crime is charged.” 



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Electoral College to convene Monday, December 14

Saturday, December 12, 2020


OLYMPIA — On Monday, December 14, 2020 the electors who represent Washington state’s 12 electoral votes will meet at the Legislative building in Olympia to cast their votes for the U.S. president and vice president. This process will take place throughout the country Dec. 14.


Due to the pandemic, the Legislative building remains closed to the general public. To ensure public health and safety, and in adherence to health guidelines, public attendance for this year’s Electoral College will not be available. However, TVW will broadcast the ceremony live at noon on TV and online.

Click here for the TVW information.


How the Electoral College works

When citizens vote for the president and vice president in the General Election, they are actually selecting the “electors” that will represent their state in the Electoral College.

The number of electors allocated to each state reflects the state’s Congressional delegation: 

  • one for each representative in the U.S. House of Representatives (Rep. Pramila Jayapal is ) 
  • one for each senator in the U.S. Senate (Sen. Patty Murray, Sen. Maria Cantwell)

Washington has two senators and 10 representatives, for a total of 12 electors. The nominee who receives the majority of the popular vote in the General Election in the state (Joe Biden) receives all 12 of the state’s electoral votes.

Nationally, there are 538 electors who vote on the president and vice president. A candidate must receive 270 of the 538 total electoral votes to become president.


If no presidential ticket receives a majority of electoral votes, the House elects the president, and the Senate elects the vice president. The framers of the U.S. Constitution established the Electoral College as a compromise between election by Congress and election by popular majority.

To learn more about the Electoral College, visit the Office of the Secretary of State’s website
.



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