  May 23, 2008 Grand opening of new election headquartersTop reforms completed to start busy election season
The move to a consolidated facility is among more than 300 reforms and recommendations made since 2004 that have helped transform elections, according to King County Executive Ron Sims and Elections Director Sherril Huff. "Whether you are a voter, candidate filing for office in two weeks, or an elected official, everyone with a stake in our system of democracy is well served by the safeguards in place at this new facility," said Sims. "The changes protect every vote and offer maximum transparency for observers and the numerous reforms made in recent years both at the polls and to the election headquarters will be hard to miss this year." Consolidating all elections activity under one roof was the single most important security recommendation and the top overall recommendation of all oversight groups, including the King County Independent Task Force, an audit from the national nonprofit The Election Center, the council-appointed Citizens Election Oversight Committee, and the Washington Secretary of State. The renovated elections facility formerly housed WorkSource, the state’s employment and training services program. To ensure the building meets the specific needs for secure elections in the state’s largest county, casino security experts, elections professionals and King County Facilities collaborated on the current design. The facility sits near the center of the county geographically, spans 94,000 square foot and is located at SW Grady Way and Powell Avenue in Renton. Also, unlike its former downtown location, the facility now offers the public ample free parking. The building was designed with the technology and flexibility to accommodate up to 500 temporary employees in a countywide machine or hand recount and includes a 40-person phone bank, space to accommodate a regional voting center, training and multipurpose rooms, four conference rooms and a public observation loop around the entire mail ballot processing floor. Full consolidation of the Elections Division is expected in early 2009 when the Election Distribution Center, located in Seattle, which houses poll site equipment is no longer needed in a vote-by-mail balloting system. A transition to vote by mail is expected in early 2009. Until then, the new facility includes 14,000 square feet of warehouse space to store equipment for regional voting centers and accept bulk mail deliveries. "We are grateful to the Executive and County Council for their investment in elections over the years and proud of the progress we’ve made," said Elections Director Sherril Huff. "Added space specifically designed for our needs allowed us to make a number of process and security improvements, such as keeping voted ballots separate from blank ballot stock. These changes should give citizens the assurance their votes are accounted for and even more secure than ever at all times." Security and transparency were key design requirements for election officials in creating a blueprint for the new building. Key card access controls are required throughout the facility for regular and temporary employees, while observers and the public are required to have badges. In addition, biometric clearances, such as fingerprint scans, are required to access certain highly secure areas of the building including the ballot cages and computer server room. Wireless capabilities have been disabled in the building and 59 security cameras record and log all activity 24 hours a day. King County Sheriff’s deputies still patrol the facility during business hours during all elections. "Consolidating election functions in one location is one of the most important investments the county has made to improve accuracy in elections. This new facility, which was designed to improve communication between work groups and make the voting process more transparent to the public, will enable King County to build on earlier improvements that have helped to restore confidence in the election process," said Ellen Hansen, chair of the Citizens Election Oversight Committee (CEOC). The CEOC is one of four groups to audit the Elections Division and provide a total of more than 358 recommendations since 2004. Among the 308 recommendations implemented since 2004, 10 stand out as the most significant:
Public tours of the facility are available to schools, community organizations, and civic groups interested in observing the upcoming elections. Read the list of more than 350 recommendations made by external groups since 2004 |
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Updated: Friday, March 5, 2010
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Voters can expect an even more secure voting process the next time they cast their ballots in King County. Since relocating to a newly renovated facility in December, Election officials have completed a number of important changes including enhanced ballot security, improved accuracy of mail ballot processing, and more space for early voting.