Election officials will always put voters and democracy first

As we head into the final days of this midterm election, I want to take minute to tell you about the folks who run your elections.

Over the past few years, the climate of rampant misinformation and blatant lies about our work has been devastating. The threats to election administrators are real and appalling. And the accusations and distrust are disheartening. I think when folks continuously question my integrity and that of my team — that we are rigging elections, that we are secretly switching votes or throwing away ballots, that we are literally committing felonies — they forget that our elections are run by real people. Like you, we live right here. You might bump into us at the grocery store or sit next to one of us at your child’s soccer game. We are your family and friends. We are your neighbors and colleagues. Like you, we have a profound and enduring commitment to our community. We are dedicated public servants, driven by our values of integrity, transparency and equity.

We are professionals. Collectively, we possess thousands of years of experience running elections and countless state and national election certifications. We are always learning, always growing and always striving to improve. We consistently cross-examine our processes and procedures and ask how we can do better — becoming more efficient, more transparent and more accessible to our voters.  

My commitment to you — and one that I see matched in election administrators across this state and the country — is that we will always put voters and democracy first. Our team doesn’t leave the building, sometimes staying until 1 a.m., until every ballot has been accounted for. We will continue to push the envelope in making it as convenient as possible to register and vote. And we will never lose focus on security and protecting the integrity of our elections. We know that we can have elections that are both secure and accessible because that’s how we do it here in King County and Washington state.

As Election Day comes and goes, what I’m asking of you is to spread only facts. There is so much information out there about elections that I know it can be difficult to know what to trust. Know that it takes time to count ballots — especially when so many come in on Election Day. Know that we will continue to keep you updated about results all the way until they’re finalized at certification on Nov. 29.

Call us, email us, visit our website, or even visit our office — we are happy to answer your questions and explain the process.

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 8. Make your voice heard.