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SEATTLE - With Election Day approaching, King County election officials are reassuring voters that comprehensive security measures are protecting ballots from the moment they are deposited in drop boxes through final processing.
Local authorities maintain that the region's voting infrastructure is solid, incorporating physical fortifications, new sensor technology, and strict chain-of-custody protocols across the county’s 100 official ballot drop boxes.
Fortified drop boxes, real-time sensors
What they're saying:
Election administrators emphasize that official drop boxes remain the most reliable method for voters to submit their ballots before the deadline.
"Those drop boxes are incredibly secure," said Halei Watkins, communications manager at King County Elections. "They’re made out of steel, bolted into the cement, they have no pry points, multiple locking mechanisms, and they are even equipped with sensors."
Watkins noted that the sensors are a new addition this year. The systems provide election staff with real-time alerts regarding heat impacts or other physical disturbances.
An image of a ballot drop box in Washington state. (FOX 13 Seattle)
Strict protocols and bipartisan oversight
Dig deeper:
To prevent tampering during transit, ballots are collected and transported under strict chain-of-custody rules.
"Ballots are never alone with a human, they are always handled in teams of two by trained and experienced election administrators," Watkins said.
At the King County Elections headquarters, processing occurs under close scrutiny from political and independent monitors. Teams of gloved election workers sort and verify thousands of ballots, recently opening 17,000 ballots in a span of just a few hours.
"We also do all of this work under the watchful eye of observers," Watkins said. "We welcome observers from both major political parties and nonpartisan observers."
Added security, public transparency
Big picture view:
Out on the streets, the National Guard is assisting election security by patrolling various drop box locations, providing extra monitoring to ensure operations run smoothly.
For members of the public seeking additional transparency, King County Elections operates live-streaming web cameras from headquarters, allowing anyone to observe the counting and verification process in real time.
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The Source: Information in this story comes from original reporting by FOX 13 Seattle reporter Shirah Matsuzawa.