Responding to the Aug. 2 PDN article, “Auditor addresses observer concerns,” isn’t it great that Republicans are doing their due diligence in accordance with HR 1716, a bill that the Democrat majority passed and Governor Inslee signed into law on March 17 of this year?
Section (5) of HR 1716 states: “Nothing in this section may be construed to limit or otherwise restrict the access of an authorized political party observer to a voting center, student engagement hub, or ballot drop box for the purpose of observing the election process.”
As a first-year observer of both the ballot process in the courthouse election center and at ballot boxes in Sequim and Carlsborg, I can say it has been a privilege and an education, one that every citizen should participate in.
It is not just Republicans that observe.
At the election center we Republicans sit with Democrat and League of Women Voter observers, four from each party and one LWV are allowed.
We give hours of our time because we share the same desire for a fair election.
In this we are united.
Three years ago the Sequim ballot box overflowed, with ballots on the ground around the box.
An alert citizen called the police, the police arrived and vulnerable ballots were secured until election officials arrived to take them into their custody.
We would like to prevent that from ever happening again.
Democrats are welcome to join us in watching the boxes, this should be a bi-partisan effort.
Louise Jones-Brown
Sequim