Council told ballot drop box license will be renewed; box collected 17,629 ballots in 2024
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Summary
City staff presented a proposed five-year license renewal with Snohomish County Elections to keep a ballot drop box at the civic campus. Staff recommended authorization and said the item will appear on the Feb. 6 consent calendar. City data show the box collected 17,629 ballots in 2024, up from 5,117 in its first year.
City staff presented a proposed five-year license renewal to keep a Snohomish County Elections ballot drop box at the Mountlake Terrace civic campus and recommended council authorization; the council will consider the item on the Feb. 6 consent calendar.
The council heard that Snohomish County first placed the box at the civic campus in 2018; the location was requested by county elections staff and the 2019 state law (RCW 29A.40.170) requires at least one ballot drop box in each city, town and census-designated place in the county where there is a post office. City staff said the initial year the facility collected 5,117 ballots, and that in 2024 the box collected 17,629 ballots in multiple elections (February special: 2,698; March primary: 2,799; August primary: 3,729; November general: 8,403).
Staff recommended the city manager be authorized to enter a five-year license agreement to retain the drop box at its current location; the recommendation will appear on the council’s Feb. 6 consent calendar.
Ending: Council did not vote on the renewal at the meeting; staff said the agreement will appear on the Feb. 6 consent calendar for formal authorization.