Statement of King County Executive Ron Sims on the Council Elections Audit

Oct. 3, 2005

Statement of King County Executive Ron Sims on the Council Elections Audit

The audit released today was conducted by a highly respected, nationally known organization that includes a team of auditors from other states who gave us well thought out recommendations and observations. This audit demonstrates the value of third-party review by experts in the field of elections.

I was very pleased to note the overall positive tenor of the report. Where the audit did discover technical deficiencies, I concur with the recommendations of the audit team, and I look forward to working with the council in addressing the needs of the elections functions of our county government, especially on security needs.

While we still have work to do, the audit found that the significant improvements we have made in our Elections Section over the last year are producing measurable results. Coming on the heels of a smooth primary election, the findings show that we are now moving rapidly along the path to making King County Elections a model section.

It is important to note that we addressed all security issues as they were identified during the audit process, and that there is no evidence of any security breeches in King County Elections. Echoing earlier findings by the Citizens Election Oversight Committee, this audit also strongly recommends that the section be consolidated into a single facility, and confirms my understanding that such a consolidation will not only improve efficiency but allow for further security upgrades beyond what have already been implemented.

Recent security improvements include:

Monitored video surveillance at the King County Administration building in the tabulation room, front counter and back door access and a similar installation at the mail in ballot-counting facility;
Keycard access with authorized delegation for the elections office, the vault and the tabulation room; fencing completed to the ceiling of the mail-in ballot cage and scheduled to be installed over the skylight;
Uniformed King County sheriff deputies on site 24/7 at the mail-in ballot center, the Elections Distribution Center and the temporary recount facility; dual access procedures so ballots are always transported and accounted for in the custody of two elections staff and open to official party observers.

Moreover, I believe this positive report will go a long way in helping to restore public trust and confidence in our electoral process. And it further demonstrates the hard work and commitment of our county elections staff. I know they have been working overtime to make hundreds of positive procedural and operational changes, and now the public will see that as well.

I think it is noteworthy that members of the audit team testified to the County Council that King County Elections has undergone more intense scrutiny than most any elections operation in the nation. As national experts in elections processes, they were able to add much needed context to the discussion of the current state of King County Elections. It is their testimony that the issues found in the King County 2004 General election are of the type found in nearly every elections operation across the nation. They stated that although perfection is the goal, elections must, above all, be fair.

I am grateful for their acknowledgement that the King County Elections team is listening and already acting on the numerous recommendations for reform, that the elections team is ready for change and that the employees and managers truly care about the elections process.

This report demonstrates and validates the critical facility needs of the Elections Section. Clearly, the elections experts on this audit team recognize the efficiency and security gained by a single consolidated elections facility. I will continue efforts already underway to again place before the council options to speed up the process to obtain a consolidated and secure facility.

Regarding the bilingual program and accessibility of polling places: while the audit says the county is out of compliance it acknowledges the extensive efforts of the elections staff to increase the number of Chinese-speaking poll workers at polling places where translators might be needed. And, we have already made a request to the Secretary of State for a facilities planner to help us make sure we have polling places that are compliant with the American Disabilities Act.

Overall, I am pleased with the progress of the Elections Section so far, and am satisfied, based on these new audit results, that our intensive efforts to improve our elections processes here in King County are bearing real results.

Related information:

Council releases Elections audit
Elections audit report (PDF file, 1.5M)
Statement from Dean Logan, Director of King County Records, Elections and Licensing Services, on the Council Management Audit of Election Operations