About 100 National Guard members are helping monitor ballot drop boxes in seven Washington counties. Gov. Bob Ferguson offered the assistance amid heightened tensions and concerns about the safety of voters and election workers. The service members are unarmed, dressed in civilian clothes and are not to interact with voters. Their job is to observe discreetly and report potential threats.
The offer was accepted by King, Snohomish, Pierce, Thurston, Clark, Lewis and Island counties. Ferguson cited, among other incidents, the 2024 arson attack on a ballot drop box in Vancouver, which destroyed hundreds of ballots; the culprit has still not been found. Letters containing white powder sent to several officials also raised concerns. In King County, about 20 National Guard members are on duty, according to a local elections office spokesperson. They are meant to be “an extra set of eyes and ears” while remaining nearly invisible to voters.
With mail delivery delays, officials are urging residents to return ballots in person rather than send them by mail. By Friday, more than 1.5 million ballots had been returned for the Nov. 3 election, out of more than 5 million registered voters; nearly 70% came through drop boxes. Meanwhile, state officials are at odds with the Trump administration over the security of voting by mail. Secretary of State Steve Hobbs rejected claims that hundreds of noncitizens had registered and voted. For a ballot to be counted, it must be placed in a drop box or postmarked by 8 p.m. Tuesday.
Based on: National Guard monitoring ballot boxes in 7 WA counties