(WSB file photo – West Seattle’s newest ballot box, at Morgan Junction Park)

In light of the ballot-dropbox arson attack in Southwest Washington, a commenter asked how dropboxes are protected here. We took that question to Halei Watkins, spokesperson for King County Elections:

The news out of Southwest Washington about the fire at their drop box has been so sad. It’s heartbreaking to see those ballots burnt and the box damaged.

I am glad to report we have not seen similar attempts on our drop boxes here in King County. So far, it’s been smooth sailing out at drop boxes in our neck of the woods.

Every official ballot drop box here in King County is emptied at least once a day, including on weekends. Now that we’re so close to Election Day, our pick-ups become more frequent so we’ll have eyes on the boxes even more frequently. Our ballot collection teams go out in teams of two and fully inspect each box. Those folks can take photos and enter notes and are trained to report anything suspicious to both supervisors and law enforcement.

Our drop boxes are equipped with fire stops to help put out anything that could cause burning. They’re constructed of quarter-inch thick steel and bolted into concrete, have no pry points, multiple locking mechanisms, and are equipped with tamper evident seals. On Election Day, we’ll have both staff and security out at drop boxes across the county to answer questions for voters and be on hand in case a need arises.

We work closely with law enforcement, from our local police departments to the FBI, and our local law enforcement partners are on high alert for anything suspicious when it comes to voting, whether that’s potential intimidation or some other concerning action at a drop box or Vote Center.

If a voter ever feels intimidated at a drop box, or ever encounters something that looks suspicious or out of place, they should call 911. We train our staff, at the advice of law enforcement, to call 911 immediately if there is something suspicious or potentially dangerous in any way. Staff and voter safety are our top priority.

Dropboxes will be open until exactly 8 pm on Election Night, Tuesday, November 5; West Seattle has four – here’s where to find them.