
April 6, 2005
Extra steps taken to safeguard April 26 Special Election Absentee ballots
will be mailed tomorrow
King County Elections has taken extra steps to safeguard the upcoming
April 26 Special Election.
King County Records, Elections and Licensing Services Director Dean Logan
today placed three elections employees on paid administrative leave pending
an investigation into the mailing of 915 overseas, out of
state and military ballots for the April 26 Special Election. The action was taken after
eight out-of-state and overseas voters notified
King County the absentee packets received in the mail for the April 26
Election did not contain ballots.
To ensure all voters receive a ballot on time, replacement ballots are
being mailed to all 915 voters immediately. Overseas and military ballots,
if signed by Election Day and received by election officials by May 6,
2005, will be counted.
Logan took the action after notifying King County Executive Ron Sims
of the situation and his course of action.
The three employees placed on leave had previously been reassigned from
the Mail Ballot Operations Satellite after the discovery last week of
93 unopened and uncounted ballots from the November 2004 General Election.
Approximately 136,000 voters in Hospital District No.1, also known as
the Valley Medical Center, will begin receiving ballots this week.
At the district’s request, this election will be conducted entirely
by mail. Voters in this district which spans from Renton to Covington
will approve or reject a levy for emergency medical care and other related
services.
Voters in Hospital District Number 1 can return their ballots to the
King County Elections office or bring it to one of the four designated
ballot drop-off locations on April 21, 22 and 25 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.;
on Saturday, April 23 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; and on Election Day, April
26 between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m.
Drop-off locations include:
• Renton City Hall - 1055 S. Grady Way, Renton 98055
• Kent Fire Station 75 - 15635 SE 272nd St., Kent 98032
• Regional Justice Center - 401 Fourth Ave. N, Kent 98032
• King of Kings Lutheran Church - 18207 108th Ave. SE, Renton
98055
Bilingual assistance will be available for Chinese American voters.
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