Whatcom County auditor: ranked‑choice voting requires system upgrades and sizable upfront costs

Whatcom County Auditor Stacy Hindhorn told the Charter Review Commission on the technical and budgetary steps the county would need to adopt ranked‑choice voting, saying the minimum implementation cost is significant and regulatory certification is required.

Hindhorn said during the commission’s elections deep dive that the county’s current voting vendor is testing a ranked‑choice voting (RCV) module and that Whatcom County could not install the module until the Election Assistance Commission and the Washington secretary of state certify the vendor’s version. "The minimum cost to implement RCV is $256,000, but the actual and ongoing cost will be much higher," Hindhorn said. She told commissioners the vendor estimated a $50,000 charge to install the RCV module and about $14,000 a year in maintenance if the county chose to add the RCV capability.

The auditor’s presentation explained how the county’s election technology is organized: a statewide voter…