Frequently asked questions for the Feb. 2009 election

The February 3 special election is an all mail election.

The February 3 and March 10 elections will be conducted entirely by mail, as requested by the jurisdictions with measures on the ballot. King County has joined 37 of 39 other counties in Washington State, as well as the entire state of Oregon, in deciding to conduct all elections by mail. King County is currently in transition, and although it is planned to begin conducting all elections by mail in the near future, only the February and March special elections are currently approved to be conducted by mail.

If you return your ballot through the U.S. Postal Service, you will need to affix first class postage for your ballot to get to our office. If you would prefer to submit your ballot without postage, please do so at one of the ballot drop boxes or accessible voting centers located throughout the county. For a map of locations to drop off your ballot without postage, please visit our web site.

There are up to six elections each year in Washington State. The governing body of a jurisdiction makes a request by ordinance or resolution requesting that a special election be conducted for the voters of that jurisdiction to approve or reject a ballot measure. The jurisdiction may choose any of the dates set by state law.

State and local laws determine when elected offices are on the ballot. All elected offices, regardless of the length of the term (2, 4, or 6 years) are elected in a General Election of an odd or even year depending on the jurisdiction. The Elections Director position is on the ballot in the February Special Election only because it is a newly established elected office, and the ballot measure approved by voters this past November, established the position also set forth the specific special election date in which the elections director would be elected for the first time.

The February 3 special election will cost roughly $3 million. This cost is paid for by the jurisdictions that are participating in the Februrary election.

The initial term for the county director of elections would begin upon certification of the election on February 18, ending on December 31, 2011. Subsequent elections for the office of Elections Director would take place in the 2011 primary and general election and every four years thereafter.

The Elections Director salary is dictated by ordinance as 78.5 percent of the King County Executive’s salary. The Elections Director salary is therefore $146,040.24 for 2009.

Responsibilities of the Elections Director include: administering up to six elections each year for 143 jurisdictions, creating and printing the King County voters’ pamphlet, managing the voter registration database for 1.1 million voters, filing candidates for office, verifying initiatives and petitions, and managing a staff of more 62 regular employees and over 600 temporary employees. The Elections office maintains and is the official repository of political boundary maps, geographic information systems data associated with jurisdiction boundaries, and of the King County copies of campaign financial disclosure forms.

The Elections Director candidates are on the February ballot as a result of voter approval first on King County Initiative 25 in November 2007 followed by approval on King County Charter Amendment No. 1 in November 2008. In November 2007, voters approved King County Initiative 25 with a 56.99 percent majority. Approved by voters, the following charter amendment was to be placed on the November 2008 general election ballot: “Shall the King County Charter be amended to provide that the position of county director of elections be created as a nonpartisan elected office?” On Nov. 4, 2008, King County Charter Amendment No. 1, was approved with a 56.32 percent majority. This amendment stated, “Following approval by the voters at a general election of the amendment to Articles 3 and 6 of the King County Charter as provided in this ordinance, the initial election for county director of elections shall occur on the February special election date of the following year, as provided in RCW 29A.04.330. The amendment to Articles 3 and 6 of the King County Charter takes effect upon certification of the results of the election of the initial county director of elections.”