June 19, 2006
Statement of King County Executive Ron Sims on County Council vote-by-mail vote
"Though I was disappointed to learn last week that we would be losing Elections Director Dean Logan to Los Angeles County, my support for transitioning King County to a full vote-by-mail system has never wavered. I commend the County Council for its vote today and its agreement that it is time for King County to begin the process of joining the other 34 counties that have adopted a vote by mail system.
"Moving forward is the prudent thing to do. We have a strong plan to transition to a vote-by-mail system and a vast majority of voters are already choosing to mail their ballots.
"Neither of the ordinances approved by the County Council today is dependent on who is director of elections. The ordinances simply authorize King County to conduct a vote-by-mail election and provide the money to take the initial steps for all-mail voting.
"Working with the council, we have crafted amendments to acknowledge that Dean’s departure may impact the timeline for implementation. The amendments allow us to move forward in a thoughtful manner and provide several key check-in points with the council.
"While I am convinced the people want the convenience of vote-by-mail, the amendments approved today give us flexibility to extend the timeline from 2007 to 2008, if needed. As always, our goal is to conduct fair, accurate and transparent elections. We will work to ensure a smooth transition to an all-mail system, which is clearly favored by voters."