Frequently Asked Questions

Official Island County Drop Boxes:

• The Official Drop Boxes open no later than 18 days before Election Day.  This is the same timeframe ballots are mailed.
• Only the drop boxes located in the districts on the ballot will be open during an election.
• Official Ballot Drop Boxes close promptly at 8:00 p.m. on Election Day.

• No.  During the voting period (18 days before an election through the close of the election), no "electioneering" is permitted within 25 feet of a ballot drop box.  RCW 29A.84.510
• Electioneering is also prohibited within 100 feet of any ballot counting center.  RCW 29A.84.510

• Voted ballots can be deposited in any open official drop box in Washington state.
• The county where you deposit the ballot will forward the ballot to the county where you are registered.

The ballot drop boxes are composed of high grade materials, and secured with locks and numbered seals.

Teams of two employees of the Auditor's Department empty the drop boxes.

• The ballot drop boxes are emptied numerous times during each election cycle.
• For security reasons, the schedule for the emptying of the drop boxes is not made public.

• The seals on the drop box are checked and logged.
• The ballots are removed from the drop box and put into a transport container.
• Numbered seals are used to close and secure the transport container.
• A log is kept of all of the seals used in the process.
• The ballots are transported to the Elections Office/Ballot Counting Center.
• When the ballots arrive at the counting center, the seals on the containers are verified and the containers are open.
• The ballots are counted and placed into trays for processing.