Nov. 7, 2006
Duvall-Carnation Police to help King County Elections secure ballots in flood-isolated areas
Flood waters have closed roads in the Carnation area, making it impossible for poll workers to deliver ballots from three poll locations to regional election depots after the polls close at 8 p.m. this evening. Ordinarily, the ballots would be transported from the poll sites at Stillwater Elementary, Duvall Church, and the Riverview School District Headquarters to the Temporary Election Annex for counting.
Hearing of the problem, Mayor Bill Paulsen of Carnation, Mayor Will Ibershof of
Duvall and Chief Glen Merriman of the Duvall-Carnation police department swung into action, working with King County Election staff to devise a chain of custody to secure the ballots until roads are passable again, hopefully on Wednesday.
"The voters did their part, under some very difficult conditions this evening," said Mayor Paulsen. "So we wanted to do what we could to make sure their efforts weren’t wasted and that we safeguarded their ballots and the integrity of the election process."
Ballots treated like "evidence"
When voting ends at the Riverview polling location in Carnation this evening, poll workers will complete all of their accountability work, seal their bags, and then hand off the ballots to a Carnation Police officer. The officer will complete documentation transferring custody of the materials and have a poll worker sign it. The officer will then drive the ballots to the Emergency Operation Center at the Duvall Fire Station where they will be secured overnight in the evidence room.
Poll workers at the Stillwater Elementary and Duvall Church poll sites will deliver their equipment bags and materials directly to the evidence room at the Fire Station where an officer will meet them to complete an Evidence Custody form. The equipment bags and materials will be secured in the evidence room until roads clear and elections staff can sign for them and complete the chain of custody documentation.
"From the moment the officers take custody of the ballots, we are creating a chain of custody, just like we do with evidence," said Duvall-Carnation Police Chief Glen Merriman. "That means we’ll secure the ballots and document their location and who has control of them at every step in the process until they are handed over to King County Elections staff."
"The cities’ help was invaluable in this process," said Jim Buck, interim director of Records, Elections, and Licensing Services. "This is a perfect example of how regional officials can work together to serve the community. We owe them a huge thanks."
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