County plans sensor upgrades for ballot drop boxes, will seek grants and explore 'smart' drop-box options

The county's elections office told the Mason County Board of Commissioners it will replace obsolete sensors on vote-by-mail ballot drop boxes with a new leased sensor that includes GPS and tamper detection. "EzyVote is the new name for our previous supplier, and the sensors that we have now are considered obsolete," the elections official said, adding the new devices will be leased on a three-year term. The elections official said the purchase will be reimbursed by the Washington Secretary of State's information security grant and that the office expects eligibility for another $80,000 tranche for fiscal year 2026. The official also said security grant funds may be available for fiscal year 2027 and stated an amount for planning purposes of $8,080,000 as described in the meeting. Commissioners and staff discussed whether the county should investigate "smart drop boxes" that can scan barcodes on ballots to provide near-instant acknowledgment of receipt and reduce duplicate ballots. The elections official said the technology exists and that the office will evaluate it and potential grant funding; the official also said staff will continue planning for relocating the ballot processing room to Building 6 to improve space and public access. No formal vote was recorded. Commissioners asked staff to return with costs, grant options and technical feasibility for barcode-reading drop boxes and to coordinate with the county's grant writer on potential funding.