On behalf of King County Elections, I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to Carnation Mayor Bill Paulsen, Duvall Mayor Will Ibershof and Duvall-Carnation Police Chief Glen Merriman for their help on election night in safeguarding ballots for voters in their area.

About two hours before the polls closed, poll workers at Stillwater Elementary, Duvall Church and the Riverview School District headquarters realized rising flood waters were likely going to make it difficult, if not impossible, to safely transport ballots and election materials from their locations to regional election depots in the area and on to Seattle for verification and counting.

At the same time, local officials were busy coordinating flood relief and evacuation efforts for residents struggling to make it to safety for the evening. Despite the many critical demands on their time and resources, mayors Paulsen and Ibershof and chief Merriman stepped up to provide strong leadership and much needed assistance to our elections staff and poll workers.

When they heard about our predicament, they coordinated with their officers and created a chain of custody after the polls closed to deliver and secure the ballots overnight in their police evidence room until roads opened. The chain of custody meant sworn officers secured the ballots and documented their location and who had control of them at every step in the process until they could be handed over to King County elections staff.

Their actions not only safeguarded the ballots, but also helped uphold voter confidence in the democratic process, giving them assurance, after battling one of the worst storms in years to be able to cast their vote, that their vote would be guarded and counted.

The leadership and regional coordination mayors Paulsen and Ibershof and chief Merriman demonstrated with their actions are examples of the kinds of best practices all regional officials strive for when serving their community.

I echo the feeling expressed by every elections staffer who heard about their actions when I say, “Thank you.”

Jim Buck

Interim Director of Washington State Records, Elections and Licensing

Services

Joyce, Wash.