Thurston County auditor warns budget cuts and postage volatility could force supplemental request if recounts occur

Auditor Mary Hall told the board the auditor’s office was unable to produce a fully accurate preliminary budget earlier because staff lacked access to a new financial system. During the reconvened public hearing, Hall emphasized that her office must mail ballots to roughly 220,000 registered voters and that most voter-notice mailings are federally required under the National Voter Registration Act.

"We are one of the single largest mailers in Thurston County simply because we have about 220,000 registered voters," Hall said, adding that the office must provide ballots and several federally required notices for every election. She said the office did not request a postage-line increase in the preliminary packet and would therefore have to absorb postage volatility within existing allocations.

Hall warned that if the county faces a mandatory statewide or countywide recount — as it did in a recent statewide race — the auditor’s office could need additional appropriations. "If we have a statewide or countywide recount in 2026 like we had in 2024 ... we will need to come back to you for a supplemental budget request," she said.

Hall asked commissioners to work with the budget office to refine revenue forecasts and beginning fund numbers and noted that the auditor’s office had limited staff across multiple voter-service locations, which complicates response capacity during high-demand election events.

The auditor’s testimony underscores a near-term budget vulnerability: mandatory mailings and unpredictable recount requirements can generate costs outside the regular fiscal planning calendar and may prompt the board to approve supplemental appropriations.