County auditor’s office gives election updates

The Pierce County Auditor’s Office is ramping up for this year’s General Election, which will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 5. The Pierce County Elections Division conducted a pre-election audit on ballot counting and processing equipment and a pre-election audit of the County’s Accessible Voting Unit on Wednesday, Oct. 16.

The audits, called a Logic and Accuracy Test, took place at the Pierce County Elections Center, 2501 S. 35th St., Suite C in Tacoma, and were open to the public. The Logic and Accuracy Test verifies if votes are correctly tabulated and recorded through sample ballot-casting exercises. 

Elections staff enter a set of sample votes for each candidate and ballot measure and one or more overvoted ballots for each contest. The sample votes, called a test deck, are processed through the tabulation equipment. Then, the test deck is compared to the tabulation results to ensure the vote count is accurate. 

“We run our voting system through rigorous testing before and after every election,” said Pierce County Auditor Linda Farmer. “It’s our job to make sure everything is working properly for the more than 564,000 registered voters here in Pierce County who can make their voices heard by casting a ballot.”

Farmer will present information on the General Election to the Pierce County Council on Tuesday, Oct. 29, at 3 p.m. during the Council’s regular meeting.

Register to vote, update your address, request a replacement ballot, or get other election-related assistance at (253) 798-VOTE (8683), email elections@piercecountywa.gov, or in person at the Pierce County Elections Center.

The Pierce County Elections Office has mailed ballots to all 568,300 registered voters in Pierce County, and the 51 official ballot drop boxes located throughout the county are now open.   

In this General Election, voters will decide on statewide and local ballot measures, as well as state, local and federal offices including President, Governor, County Executive, Congress and County Council.  

“You can vote as soon as you get your ballot,” Farmer said. “By getting your ballot in well ahead of the deadline, you can avoid any last-minute issues and confirm that your choices count.”  

Any voter who has not received a ballot by Oct. 22 should contact the Pierce County Elections Office at (253) 798-8683 to confirm their registration and ensure that Elections staff have the correct mailing address on file.  

Want a quick overview? Check out Pierce County’s “Election-at-a-Glance” guide (go to tinyurl.com/39n3fpjn), including what’s on the ballot, public meeting schedules, results release schedule, expected voter turnout and more. 

Eligible citizens can register or update their registrations online using VoteWA.gov until Oct. 28 to participate in this election. In-person voter registration is available up until 8 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 5, at Pierce County Elections offices.  

All County households should have received voters’ pamphlets from both Pierce County Elections and the Washington Secretary of State. Online information about candidates and ballot measures is available at PierceCountyElections.org and the Secretary of State’s website at sos.wa.gov/elections/voters/2024-general-election-voters-guide.

The Pierce County Auditor’s Office is ramping up for this year’s General Election, which will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 5. The Pierce County Elections Division conducted a pre-election audit on ballot counting and processing equipment and a pre-election audit of the County's Accessible Voting Unit on Wednesday, Oct. 16.

The audits, called a Logic and Accuracy Test, took place at the Pierce County Elections Center, 2501 S. 35th St., Suite C in Tacoma, and were open to the public. The Logic and Accuracy Test verifies if votes are correctly tabulated and recorded through sample ballot-casting exercises. 

Elections staff enter a set of sample votes for each candidate and ballot measure and one or more overvoted ballots for each contest. The sample votes, called a test deck, are processed through the tabulation equipment. Then, the test deck is compared to the tabulation results to ensure the vote count is accurate. 

“We run our voting system through rigorous testing before and after every election,” said Pierce County Auditor Linda Farmer. “It’s our job to make sure everything is working properly for the more than 564,000 registered voters here in Pierce County who can make their voices heard by casting a ballot.”

Farmer presented information on the General Election to the Pierce County Council on Tuesday, Oct. 29 during the Council’s regular meeting.

Register to vote, update your address, request a replacement ballot, or get other election-related assistance at (253) 798-VOTE (8683), elections@piercecountywa.gov, or in person at the Pierce County Elections Center.