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Auditor seeks temporary atrium voting center; commissioners ask for traffic plan before vote
Summary
Thurston County Auditor presented an MOU to use the county atrium as a second voting center for the July primary and November general election; commissioners signaled general support but asked for a department-item presentation and a traffic-control graphic before taking a vote next week.
The Thurston County Auditor presented a memorandum of understanding to establish a temporary second voting center in the county atrium for the July 24 primary and the Nov. 3 general election that would remain in effect through Nov. 4, 2026.
Auditor Hall said the atrium option responds to long waits recorded in 2024 and that the office has been coordinating traffic circulation, shuttle service and parking with Intercity Transit and the city of Olympia. "We had 3.5 hour waits served our last customer," Auditor Hall said, arguing the larger site would reduce delays and allow better ballot processing.
The proposal would reroute traffic on several streets on Election Day, route buses to park-and-ride locations with shuttles to the site, and reserve the atrium lot primarily for customers while staff would park off-site and be shuttled in. Auditor Hall said the voters pamphlet is already at the printer and that staff have been working on logistics since January.
Several commissioners expressed operational concerns and asked for more detail before the board votes at its June 16 business meeting. "I would like a presentation from the auditor on exactly what it's gonna look like, including what the traffic study says," one commissioner said, asking for a graphic rendition of the traffic control plan and clarity on who will park where on election day.
Auditor Hall offered to present those graphics as a department item next Tuesday and noted Intercity Transit has proposed a shuttle concierge and additional parking options. Commissioners emphasized they cannot pre-vote but that multiple members have indicated support pending review of the traffic plan and confirmation of operational details.
The work session concluded with staff agreeing to prepare a department-item presentation for next week that will include traffic graphics and a high-level plan for staff communications and signage; the business meeting will include the public comment opportunity and the formal vote on the MOU.
