OLYMPIA — King Conservation District announced they will implement mobile voting in their upcoming Conservation District Board of Supervisors election on Feb. 11. Secretary of State Kim Wyman released the following statement:
“Any time you connect a system online, it becomes vulnerable to attack. As my office looks ahead to the five elections we must conduct this year, I’m seeking to rollback electronic ballot return methods. Cyber experts I have worked with, including the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Washington National Guard, overwhelmingly have identified electronic transmission as too risky for voting and could leave voter information and election infrastructure impaired. As the chief election officer for the state of Washington, I’m not willing to take that risk.”
“With regard to the King County Conservation District using mobile voting in their upcoming election, my office learned the details of the election administration early this week. While my office oversees elections in our state, some taxing district elections, like conservation districts, are not governed by Title 29A of the Revised Code of Washington. This means we do not have the authority to oversee nor set the standards for the conduct of their elections. This will be the first election in which King County voters will have an opportunity to vote by mobile app. Election officials throughout the state and I are watching closely as this local election unfolds.”
