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Editor’s Note: This story is part of Cascadia Daily News’ mini-series “pre-bunking” misinformation and disinformation ahead of the 2024 election. The series will continue to explore the democratic process in Whatcom County.
With Election Day right around the corner, there is a steady increase in ballots being dropped off at locations around Whatcom County — more than 71,000 as of Wednesday, Oct. 30.
Strict rules dictate what is not allowed near areas where people are voting. While some rules appear to be common sense, such as intimidation at a polling place, it is also illegal to gather signatures for any kind of petition or circulate cards or handbills.
In Washington, people are restricted from engaging with voters within 100 feet of a voting center or within 25 feet from a ballot drop box to ensure that voters are unimpeded when casting their vote.
“You’re not supposed to be doing anything within 25 feet of that ballot dropbox unless you’re depositing a ballot,” explained Whatcom County Chief Deputy Auditor Amy Grasher, who was the elections supervisor for the previous 12 years. “So there’s no electioneering or hanging out intimidating voters to that degree.”
Breaking the election law is considered a gross misdemeanor. However, issues have rarely come to charges being filed in the county.
“In the past, we’ve only needed to give a gentle reminder to a member of the public regarding acts prohibited near voting centers and ballot drop boxes,” Whatcom County Auditor Stacy Henthorn told Cascadia Daily News.
The Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office said that deputies on patrol have an increased awareness of ballot box locations in the county and will be available to respond to any suspicious activity.
“Voter intimidation by poll watchers is illegal, and there are legal restrictions on who can engage in poll watching and rules in place to ensure accountability,” the nonpartisan Brennan Center for Justice writes in its piece breaking down the limits on what the military, law enforcement and vigilantes can do at the polls.
The poll watchers referred to by the Brennan Center should not be conflated with election observers, who play an important role in the process. These election observers are appointed by the major political parties to ensure the election process is open and transparent, Henthorn said.
The general public is also welcome to observe the process at the Election Center in Whatcom County.
“We recommend anyone planning on observing to check out Observer Resources on the Whatcom County Auditor’s website,” Henthorn said.
The handout notes that “anyone has the right to observe any part of the election process” and that the public can also observe the process online via live webcams.
“We installed the live webcams during COVID to give the public the ability to observe the staff processing ballots and be safe,” Henthorn said. “We realized the public really like this option so we kept them.”
Henthorn reminds voters that they are ultimately responsible for ensuring their ballot is in the mail or in an official ballot drop box by 8 p.m. “sharp” on Tuesday, Nov. 5. The Voting Center at the Whatcom County Auditor’s Office will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 2.
Isaac Stone Simonelli is CDN’s enterprise/investigations reporter; reach him at isaacsimonelli@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 127.
