Thurston County to partner with Pierce County to process Yelm School District special election ballots while county ballot center is remodeled

Thurston County's chief deputy auditor, Diana Benson, told commissioners on Jan. 7 that the county will enter an interlocal agreement with the Pierce County Auditor's Office to process ballots for a February 2025 Yelm School District special election while Thurston County's ballot processing center is being remodeled.

Benson said Thurston County will continue to provide voter services locally: a Thurston voting center will remain open, voters will receive a voter pamphlet insert, and Thurston staff will pick up ballots and deliver them to Pierce County for processing. Pierce County will run ballot processing for shared-district voters while Thurston handles voter pickup and local services. Benson said Pierce County has worked previously with Thurston when processing-center issues required interjurisdictional arrangements.

Commissioners asked about equipment and timelines. Benson said the counties both use state-certified systems and that she met with Pierce County elections staff and the Yelm School District to plan for the election. She estimated that the remodeling work on Thurston—s ballot processing center should be finished by summer; commissioners asked about contingencies if another election were required in April and Benson said the county had contingency plans using alternate sites and voter services for a small election.

The item was on the consent calendar for the afternoon board meeting for formal approval.