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FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, September 12, 2003
Contact:
Steve Homan, Thurston County Elections Supervisor, 360-786-5408
Drop Box
Installed At Thurston County Courthouse
OLYMPIA – Voters who wish to drop off ballots
at the Thurston County Courthouse for next week’s primary election may find
the task a bit easier than it was in previous elections.
That’s because a drop box has been installed in the main county
parking lot so ballots can simply be placed in the box and the hassle of
finding parking can be avoided.
The drop box was the suggestion of a county
employee who thought of it as a way for folks to leave items without leaving
their car. County elections
supervisor Steve Homan says he’s in complete agreement with the idea. “We sometimes get hundreds of ballots dropped off at the
Auditor’s Office at election time. This
will make it much easier for people to drive through, leave their ballot in a
secure location, and go about their business.
They can avoid looking for a parking spot at the courthouse, which can
be a challenge at times.”
The drop box can also be used to leave property
tax payments. The next deadline
for those payments is October 31st.
The service may be expanded in the future to also include items
intended for District and Superior Court, but currently those items CANNOT be
placed in the drop box.
Homan and representatives of the Thurston County
Treasurer’s office stress that ballots and tax payments placed in the drop
box must still meet official cut off times.
“We will be picking up ballots at 8 PM the night of the election
because that is the deadline.” says Homan. “Any ballots dropped off after that time will not be
counted.” The deadline for
second half tax payments is midnight on October 31st.
The drop box is located in the main courthouse
parking on the left hand side of the first loop. The courthouse is located at 2000 Lakeridge Drive SW in
Olympia.
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