Nov. 15, 2005

Voter registration challenge hearings scheduled

Republican Party withdraws 12 additional challenges

King County Elections will hold voter registration challenge hearings this Thursday and next week for challenged voters who cast a ballot in the Nov. 8 General Election. The challenges are part of 1,944 challenges filed Oct. 26 by Lori Sotelo, Senior Vice Chairman of the King County Republican Party, on the basis that they have invalid residential addresses.

Challenge hearings are scheduled as follows:

• For 48 poll voters who cast a challenged ballot at the polls on Election Day, two hearings are scheduled at 4:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov.17.
• For 168 voters who cast an absentee ballot, hearings are scheduled for Monday, Nov.21 and Tuesday, Nov.22. The hearings will begin at 4:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. on each day.
• Additional challenges may be scheduled based on absentee and provisional ballots left to be processed.

Ballots that were set aside pending the challenges will be considered at the hearings held before the Canvassing Board at the Temporary Elections Annex located at 9010 E. Marginal Way.

A voter registration challenge hearing is an administrative hearing, not a court proceeding. The purpose of the hearing is to make a determination of the validity of the challenge and any challenged ballots cast.

The challenger must meet the burden of proof. If sufficient evidence is presented by the challenger, the challenge is granted and the voter registration will be canceled and the ballot will not be counted. If the challenger fails to meet her burden, the challenge is denied and the ballot will be counted.

Challenged voters may present testimony, documentation or simply a letter stating under oath the reasons they believe their registration is valid.

Of the original 1,944 challenges filed on Oct. 26:

• 76 were duplicates;
• 126 voters changed their address prior to Sotelo’s challenge on Oct.26;
• 116 voters changed their address by the Saturday, Nov.5 deadline thereby curing the challenge;

Total 1,626 (Does not include any withdrawals made by Sotelo due to overlap.)

King County has accepted Sotelo’s withdrawal of the additional 12 challenges filed yesterday and the 140 challenge withdrawals submitted on Nov.4 and will accept any additional withdrawals of challenges prior to the scheduled hearings.

If a challenged voter did not cast a ballot in the Nov.8 General Election, the challenge will be processed in the same manner as challenges made more than 30 days prior to the election where the Director of Elections holds a hearing and makes a decision based on an evaluation of the evidence. Those voters will be notified after the Nov.29, 2005 certification of the election.

Additional information:

• Read the letter mailed to absentee and poll challenged voters(PDF file, 34K).
• Read Lori Sotelo’s Nov.14 letter withdrawing 12 challenges (PDF file, 149K).

Updated: Nov. 15, 2005

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