Pierce County Voting: Farewell to Polling Places

Today’s election is the first all mail-in general election in Pierce County, the last of Washington’s counties to make the switch to all mail-in elections. This marks the end of polling places, and of the tradition of going somewhere to cast your vote in Pierce County. It could mean a better, more efficient way of receiving ballots, which will both save tax payer dollars and encourage citizens to vote who don’t want to leave their houses to do so.

The change also brings a new host of challenges around voter access. The Olympian yesterday reported that the voting system experienced a “glitch” that may have resulted in as many as 21,000 voters not getting their ballots for this election. Those voters, if they didn’t receive their ballot, must now contact their county elections office for a provisional ballot. The “glitch” of not getting new mailing addresses updated for thousands of voters does not mean that those voters cannot vote, but it does mean more hoops to be jumped through, and the potential for disenfranchisement of some voters – particularly those who already have other barriers to voting.

The decision to switch to all-mail voting will save the county a sizable chunk of money – a good thing for the county budget. For many area residents, however, the change means the sad end to the civic institution of polling places and a less than welcome change to democratic tradition. Is there something intrinsically different about going to a central location to cast your vote, rather than doing it in the privacy of your own home? Are we losing something important here? Or are we just finally joining the rest of the state in the 21st century?