Pay up or else! County could sue over ballot drop boxes
EVERETT — They gladly took steps to make it easier to vote.
But Snohomish County leaders are growing impatient over Washington state’s refusal, so far, to pay for all the ballot drop boxes they’ve had to install. They’ve been waiting for reimbursement two years and counting.
Last week, county leaders decided to take the issue to court. And they’ll be teaming up with other counties facing the same frustrations. Officials in eastern Washington’s Whitman County also have signaled they’re prepared to sue.
“It is a very clear case in my mind of an unfunded mandate,” said Snohomish County Auditor Carolyn Weikel, who oversees local elections. “It’s not that we don’t want to put in drop boxes. I think drop boxes are going to become more relevant in the future — but they cost money.”
The County Council unanimously passed a resolution Wednesday to authorize litigation to recoup the money spent complying with the state ballot drop-box requirement.
The Washington State Association of Counties is preparing to coordinate the effort as a co-plaintiff. Pacifica Law Group, of Seattle, has been hired by the association to guide the legal challenge, said Eric Johnson, executive director of the association.
https://www.heraldnet.com/news/pay-up-or-else-county-could-sue-over-ballot-drop-boxes/?utm_source=DAILY+HERALD&utm_campaign=697236477d-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_d81d073bb4-697236477d-228635337