Lose your ballot? Need to register to vote? Libraries help ‘stranded voters’ today
Need help registering to vote? Lose your ballot? Misplace your voters pamphlet?
Your local library has your back on election day.
For the first time Tuesday, Pierce County Auditor’s Office launched a pilot program partnering with local libraries — called “Points of Assistance” to ensure residents have everything they need to make their votes count in the primary election.
A total of 27 libraries across the county are participating in the program by providing services throughout election day for those who need help:
▪ Checking their registration status online.
▪ Registering to vote, if needed.
▪ Printing out a replacement ballot.
▪ Acquiring a local voters’ pamphlet.
▪ Depositing their ballot in a secured Pierce County ballot deposit box.
Washington’s new same-day voter registration law, which went into effect July 1, was intended to remove barriers for people trying to vote, by allowing them to do so — in person, take note — through election day.
The auditor’s office realizes not everyone can make it to the Pierce County Election Center (2501 S 35th St, Suite C) in Tacoma at the last minute.
“For many potential voters, traveling to the Pierce County Elections office at the last minute may be impossible. For these citizens, we’ve created an emergency option at their local library branch,” Pierce County Auditor’s Office staff wrote in a memo.
The Pierce County Library System, Tacoma Public Libraries and the Puyallup Public Library all are participating.
Take note: Libraries are not polling stations. Instead, ballots will be placed in secure locked boxes that can be accessed by Pierce County election workers only, not library staff.
Library staff have signed a “Confidentiality Oath” and have received training by election workers. Privacy cover sheets are provided to each voter to protect their voted ballot and “observers have been instructed to maintain an 8-foot distance from library staff, to help ensure privacy,” according to the auditor’s office.
Participating libraries:
Tacoma Public Libraries
Fern Hill Branch, 765 S. 84th St.
Kobetich Branch, 212 Brown’s Point Blvd. NE
Tacoma Main Branch, 1102 Tacoma Ave. S.
Moore Branch, 215 S. 56th St.
Mottet Branch, 3523 E. G St.
South Tacoma Branch, 3411 S. 56th St.
Swasey Branch, 7001 Sixth Ave.
Wheelock Branch, 3722 N. 26th St.
Puyallup Library
Puyallup Public Library, 324 S. Meridian
Pierce County Library System
Eatonville Library, 205 Center St. W.
Graham Library, 9202 224th St. E.
Parkland/Spanaway Library, 13718 Pacific Ave. S.
Summit Library, 5107 112th St. E.
South Hill Library, 15420 Meridian E.
Orting Library, 202 Washington Ave. S.
Bonney Lake Library, 18501 90th St. E.
Buckley Library, 123 S River Ave.
Fife Library, 6622 20th St. E.
Sumner Library, 1116 Fryar Ave.
Milton/Edgewood Library, 900 Meridian E.
Steilacoom Library, 2950 Steilacoom Blvd.
Dupont Library, 1540 Wilmington Dr.
Gig Harbor Library, 4424 Point Fosdick Dr. NW.
Key Center Library, 8905 Key Peninsula Hwy. NW.
Lakewood Library, 6300 Wildaire Road SW.
University Place Library, 3609 Market Place W.
Tillicum Library, 14916 Washington Ave. SW.
This story was originally published August 6, 2019 at 11:56 AM.
