Large side plates protect openings from rain during high winds.Drip edge protects top of door seam (prevents ballots from getting wet when the door is opened).Surface mount or cast mount legs allow custom fit to the site location.Door opens out at an angle so as to fall open if not locked, preventing unsecured boxes.Flush locks and doors resist impact and tampering.Lock body is never exposed outside the box (protects against tampering).Weighing 600 lbs., boxes are constructed from ¼” and 3/8” folded steel.Slanted interior design forces ballots towards doors and reduces strain for ballot drop box teams.Slot size accommodates large envelopes, but is slim-enough to prevent tampering.One-handed operation, for voters of all abilities. Deposit slot height suited for cars and wheelchairs.Separate walk-up and drive-up deposit points, to keep voters out of traffic.The winners saw their quote revealed, and local papers published news releases to honor the winners and to raise awareness of the drop box locations.
Students were invited to submit their ideas. They held contests at high schools closest to each drop box. Pierce County uses graphic decals featuring quotes that inspire civic participation. The boxes were found to be very fire resistant, due to tight, heavy construction that limited air circulation. Before installation, the Auditor asked a local fire department to test ballot drop boxes, with and without the fire suppression, using a variety of combustion and fire starters.
To prevent a fire from destroying ballots inside the drop box, each box is outfitted with fire suppression canisters. By investing in larger boxes, the program can continue to grow in popularity. Through their experience Pierce County learned that small drop boxes, which can fill up quickly, are problematic. Voters enjoy the advantages of drop boxes, which are open 24/7 and do not require a stamp. Pierce County voters can mail their ballot, drop their ballot at a drop box, or vote in-person at one of the four Voting Centers. Why are drop boxes so popular? Voters like convenient choices. In the 2014 General Election, 118,971 of the 220,827 Pierce County ballots cast, or 53.9%, were returned at a drop box. Since becoming an all vote-by-mail jurisdiction in 2011, Pierce County has seen a significant increase in the number of ballots deposited at their ballot drop boxes.
They have 29, going on 30, drop boxes located throughout the county. The office has 13 full-time staff and approximately 250 part-time election workers who perform ballot pick-up, ballot processing, and voting center duties. The Pierce County Auditor’s office serves the county’s over 440,000 registered voters. The county’s residents live on islands, in cities, and at the base of the mountain. Pierce County covers 1,679 square miles from sea level to the top of Mt. Pierce County, Washington is the second largest county in the state. And how is your election office using technology to run excellent elections? Tell us about it by emailing - we’d love to share your story! Sign up to receive more success stories from election offices across the country. This story was featured in our ELECTricity newsletter in February 2015.
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