With the air of a forewoman on a manufacturing line, 53-year-old Wendy Wimer operated a roaring machine at the Clark County elections office on Wednesday, occasionally barking out numbers to fellow staffers.
Wimer, standing on a step stool, watched a small screen on the hulking piece of equipment as more than 6,000 ballots wound their way through a maze of bands and loops. The machine sorted the ballots into precincts and scanned signatures under the watchful eyes of Wimer and other elections staff.
Wimer has worked in the elections office since 1995, back in the days of punch-card ballots. A lot has changed since then, and Wimer has been eager to learn every step of the way.
“My previous boss here used to call me his get-‘er-done girl,” Wimer said.
Inside the Clark County elections office in downtown Vancouver, this flurry of activity and noise will continue nearly every day for about three weeks, ensuring ballots are properly counted and certified in the Aug. 4 primary election. In October, the process will begin again for the Nov. 3 general election.
On any given day, about 50 temporary and permanent employees will first hand-count ballots to check for damage or other problems, then mechanically sort them into precincts, verify voters’ signatures, open the envelopes and remove the ballots, then inspect for any damaged ballots or unclear votes. So-called “perfect ballots” will then be scanned.
Using a manual from the Washington Secretary of State’s office, a panel will review unclear votes — say, where a voter started voting for one candidate then changed his or her mind — and determine a voter’s intent. Any ballots where the voter’s intent can’t be determined are forwarded on to Clark County’s Canvassing Board, which will make a final decision.
All of the votes are logged onto a computer storage device that will remain under lock and key. That storage device will then be plugged into a computer, which is also kept behind locked doors, counted and announced just minutes after polls close at 8 p.m. on Aug. 4.
‘Our duty to the community’
It’s a process, voters should be reassured to know, that elections staff undertake with pride and passion.
“One thing you’ll find in my experience, anyone who works in elections really feels strongly about the mission,” Clark County Auditor Greg Kimsey said.
Wimer echoed Kimsey.
“I believe it’s our duty to the community to make sure the process runs smoothly and that everything is done correctly,” Wimer said.
As an extra layer of security, the Clark County Democratic and Republican parties provide groups of election observers. They’re trained and certified volunteers who watch every step of the process and report any issues to their party leaders and the auditor.
Karen Hengerer, chairwoman for the Clark County Democrats’ election observers, has been volunteering for three years and six elections. Hengerer said she hasn’t seen any red flags during that time, but she does learn something every election.
“Every time, no matter how many times, I always see something new because it’s such a complex process,” Hengerer said.
Observers often share their views about the integrity of the elections process, in many cases encouraging others to have confidence in the results and become more politically active.
“This is a really good way to get people to begin to be active in the political process,” she said. “Once they see this and once they see the party participation, I find many of them become political activists if they weren’t before.”
As of Friday, 18,652 of Clark County’s 250,687 eligible voters had returned their ballots, according to the Clark County elections office — a turnout of about 7.4 percent so far. Kimsey said he’s hoping for at least 30 percent turnout during this race.
Voters can turn their ballots in at any one of Clark County’s three 24-hour drop boxes until 8 p.m. on Aug. 4, at one of 31 schools and churches that will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Aug. 4 only, or mail their ballots back to the elections office. Mailed ballots must be postmarked by Aug. 4.
This year’s primary features hotly contested Clark County council and Port of Vancouver commissioner races, as well as a Vancouver City Council and Battle Ground school board races. The top two candidates in each race, regardless of party, will advance to the general election in November.
For more information on where to drop your ballot off or the candidates, visit clark.wa.gov/elections or see the map below.
