Secretary of State candidate believes Pierce County deadline may discourage voters
Oct 25, 2016, 10:04 AM
I flier in the mail is encouraging Pierce County voters to get their ballots in the mail by Friday, Nov. 4. (KIRO 7 image)
(KIRO 7 image)
The Pierce County auditor is standing by her advice to voters, even in the face of criticism by the Democratic candidate for secretary of state.
Tina Podlodowski says the advice to mail ballots by Nov. 4 may mean some voters won’t participate in the election. When KIRO 7 got to the Pierce County elections office, they found people already driving by to drop off their ballots.
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“I want to make sure my vote counts, so move it along,” Pierce County voter Laurie Lasky said.
But Democratic candidate for secretary of state Tina Podlodowski is worried about the voters who will put their ballots in the mail.
She says a flier included with Pierce County ballots says the deadline is Nov. 4, four days before the election, even though ballots don’t have to be postmarked until Nov. 8.
Pierce County Assessor Julie Anderson is not backing down.
“There is nothing more heartbreaking for us than to have to mail a voter after election and say we received your ballot and we couldn’t count it,” she said.
Anderson says the flier is based on the advice of the U.S. Postal Service
Anderson doubted there would be much confusion, “Pierce County voters, they are pretty darn smart.”
And voters we met doubted there would be much confusion.
“I don’t know, I don’t think it would,” said Pierce County voter Leigh Dunlap.
