King County installs sensors in 100 drop boxes

King County election officials are deploying new sensor technology to monitor the physical condition of ballot drop boxes in the days leading up to Election Day.

The county operates 100 official drop boxes across the region. Each unit is constructed of steel and anchored to concrete foundations. The structures feature multiple locking mechanisms and are designed to eliminate pry points. Sensors installed this year provide election staff with immediate alerts if a box experiences heat changes or physical impact.

Halei Watkins, the communications manager for King County Elections, described the hardware as highly secure. She stated that the boxes are bolted into the cement and monitored continuously. The new alert system represents an addition to the physical fortifications already in place.

Ballots remain under strict chain-of-custody protocols from the moment they are collected until they are processed. Trained election administrators handle ballots in teams of two at all times. Watkins noted that ballots are never left alone with a single individual during transit or sorting. This pairing rule applies to every step of the handling process.

At the King County Elections headquarters, workers wearing gloves sort and verify thousands of ballots. The facility recently processed 17,000 ballots within a few hours. During this work, political and independent observers watch the operations closely. Watkins said the county welcomes observers from both major political parties as well as nonpartisan monitors.

The National Guard is currently patrolling various drop box locations to provide additional monitoring. Live-streaming web cameras at the headquarters allow the public to observe the counting and verification process in real time. These measures are part of a comprehensive security effort designed to protect ballots from deposit through final processing.