Washington law protects voters in Whatcom County

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Editor’s note: This story is part of a Cascadia Daily News mini-series on “advance misinformation” and misinformation leading up to the 2024 election. The series will continue to explore the democratic process in Whatcom County.

As Election Day approaches, the number of ballots being cast in Whatcom County continues to grow, with more than 71,000 as of Wednesday, October 30th.

Strict rules dictate that it is forbidden to be near places where people vote. While some of the rules seem like common sense, such as intimidation at the polling station, it is also illegal to collect signatures on any petition or distribute leaflets or flyers.

In Washington, D.C., people are prohibited from talking to voters within 100 feet of a polling center or within 25 feet of a ballot box to ensure the privacy of voters during the voting process.

“You’re not supposed to do anything within 25 feet of the ballot box unless you’re depositing a ballot,” explained Whatcom County Chief Deputy Auditor Amy Grascher, who has been the supervisor of elections for the previous 12 years. “So there is no pre-election campaigning or voter intimidation to this level.”

Violation election is considered a gross misdemeanor by law. However, problems rarely progressed to charges in the county.

“In the past, we only needed to gently remind members of the public about activities prohibited near vote centers and ballot boxes,” Whatcom County Auditor Stacey Hanthorne told the Cascadia Daily News.

The Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office said patrol deputies have increased awareness of the location of ballot boxes in the county and are ready to respond to any suspicious activity.

“Voter intimidation by observers is illegal, and there are legal limits on who can participate in poll observation and rules in place to ensure accountability,” the nonpartisan Brennan Center for Justice wrote in an op-ed breaking down restrictions on what the military, law enforcement agencies and law enforcement officers can do it at polling stations.

The election observers mentioned by the Brennan Center should not be confused with the election observers who play an important role in the process. These election observers are appointed by the main political parties to ensure the openness and transparency of the electoral process, Henthorne said.

The general public can also watch the process at a polling center in Whatcom County.

“We encourage anyone planning to observe to check out the observer resources on the Whatcom County Auditor’s website,” Genthorne said.

The handout states that “anyone has the right to observe any part of the election process” and that the public can also watch the process online through web cameras.

“We installed live web cameras during COVID to allow the public to watch staff process ballots and be safe,” Henthorne said. “We realized that the public really liked that option, so we kept them.”

Henthorn reminds voters that it is their sole responsibility to ensure that their ballot is in the mail or in an official ballot box by 8pm on Tuesday, November 5. The Vote Center at the Whatcom County Auditor’s Office will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, November 2nd.

Isaac Stone Simonelli is CDN’s Corporate Investigative Correspondent; contact him at [email protected]; 360-922-3090 ext. 127.