Election Offices Boost Security After Threats

Washington election offices are adding cameras, reinforced glass, staff training and other protections after a run of threats against workers and attacks on ballot infrastructure, local and state officials said this week. A Brennan Center for Justice survey of more than 800 local election officials found nearly a third had experienced threats, harassment or abuse because of their job. In Washington, election workers have dealt with suspicious mail, direct threats and the 2024 fires at ballot drop boxes in Vancouver and Portland, according to local officials. The response has been practical rather than uniform, with counties adapting their own facilities and procedures ahead of the next statewide vote. ### Which threats pushed counties to harden election offices? The Brennan Center survey, cited by Washington news outlets this week, found that nearly one-third of local election officials reported threats, harassment or abuse, while 52% said they were concerned about colleagues' safety and 23% worried about being assaulted at work or at home. Julie Wise, King County's elections director, said staff had received death threats and described the climate as a broader problem for election administration. Washington officials have also pointed to physical incidents. In 2023, election offices in five states, including Washington, received suspicious mail that in some cases contained fentanyl, according to KIRO 7's report carried by MyNorthwest. In 2024, fires were set at ballot drop boxes in Portland and Vancouver, Washington, prompting counties to revisit how they protect ballots and workers. (mynorthwest.com) ### What changed in King County after those incidents? King County ballot collection and logistics supervisor Steve Barron said the county has developed contingency plans for a range of threats. Barron said ballot drop boxes are bolted to the ground, fitted with fire-stop canisters and secured with tamper-resistant seals so workers can tell whether anyone has accessed them. (mynorthwest.com) King County has also added security cameras, new staff training and ballistic film on facility windows, according to Barron. Those steps are aimed at both physical protection and continuity of operations if a threat interrupts ballot collection or processing. ### How are Pierce and Snohomish counties approaching the same problem? Pierce County Auditor Linda Farmer said in 2024 that the county had added emergency training for workers, high-visibility gear for drop-box staff, extra protective equipment in its processing center and shatter-resistant glass along an observation corridor. (mynorthwest.com) Farmer also said the county had added armed security for elections after a threatening envelope containing suspicious powder forced an evacuation during the 2023 general election. Snohomish County Auditor Garth Fell said the county's new election center was built with cameras and alarms and is located next to the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office. Fell said private security would supplement local law enforcement at voting locations and drop boxes, and he tied the setup to both worker safety and public access to observe ballot handling. (king5.com) ### How much state money has gone into these upgrades? The Washington Secretary of State's office said on July 29, 2024, that it had distributed about $2 million to 29 county elections offices in the second year of a statewide security funding program. The office said counties could receive up to $80,000 each in the program's third year for security software, hardware, IT staffing and structural improvements. (king5.com) Specific county uses show how broad the spending has been. Snohomish County used funds for monitoring devices, ballot-drop-box security, building security and cybersecurity training, the Secretary of State's office said. Stevens County added wire-mesh barriers, large monitors and a lobby management system, while Thurston County bought large concrete planters for a new voting center. (sos.wa.gov) ### Why are election offices talking so much about transparency? Snohomish County's Garth Fell said voters should be able to see how ballots are accounted for and counted accurately, and King County's election pages for 2026 direct the public to livestreams and in-person observation options. That emphasis reflects a second track in the security response: counties are not only hardening buildings and drop boxes, but also making ballot handling more visible to the public. (sos.wa.gov) Federal guidance mirrors that approach. CISA's election security library includes checklists for election offices and polling locations, a guide to physical security for voting facilities and ballot-drop-box best practices for incendiary devices. ### What comes next for Washington voters and election offices? Washington's next statewide election is the November 3, 2026 general election, according to the Secretary of State's calendar. (king5.com) King County has already posted public information pages for that election, including livestream and observation details, and the Secretary of State maintains a statewide directory of county election offices for voters who need ballots, registration help or local election information. (cisa.gov) (www2.sos.wa.gov)