King Conservation District (King CD) will launch its second successive supervisor election enabling more than 1.1 million qualified voters to securely cast a ballot online from anywhere in the world.
Web-based voting will take place over a 15-day period starting today and will run until midnight March 13. King CD has again retained election supervisor Election Trust LLC (Bellevue) and Scytl USA (Baltimore, MD) to manage and conduct the 2012 election process.
Election Trust, in response to voter feedback from last year’s election, has worked with Scytl to significantly streamline this year’s online voting process. While voters will still be required to submit a signed paper affidavit to authenticate their web ballot, unlike last year, the 2012 voting experience is a ‘one-step’ process where the qualified voter can both apply for, and cast, a ballot in just a couple of minutes during one computer session. Visit www.kingcd.org for more information on the election as well a link to begin the online voting process.
For those voters without internet access, computer voting will be available at the King Conservation District office weekdays Feb. 28 – March 12, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on March 13.
The King CD office is located at 1107 SW Grady Way, Suite 130, Renton.
Otherwise, voters needing a computer and internet access are also encouraged to visit their local library – many King County Library System locations and the Downtown Seattle Public Library will have a 2012 King CD Supervisor Voter Guide available for reference.
One candidate, Christopher “Kit” Ledbetter of Issaquah, is on the ballot for position #3 on King CD’s board of supervisors. Individuals registered to vote in King County (excluding residents of cities that are not members of the King Conservation District: Enumclaw, Federal Way, Milton, Pacific and Skykomish) are eligible to vote.
King CD is one of 47 conservation districts in Washington State, with oversight from the Washington State Conservation Commission, an agency created to assist and guide conservation district activities in Washington State. King CD initiated the online voting alternative following the November, 2010 revisions in rules governing conservation district elections in Washington State.
The all-volunteer, five-member board includes three elected members and two who are appointed by the Washington State Conservation Commission. All supervisors serve three-year terms. As public officials, their responsibility is to ensure that the King CD meets its legal and public trust obligations. The board of supervisors conducts regular public meetings to oversee the district’s budget and provide policy guidance and oversight to district staff.
The King CD provides information and technical assistance programs that are available to all landowners within the district’s boundaries on a voluntary, non-regulatory basis. King CD programs are hands-on, site specific, action and results oriented; and it initiates community outreach activities that include workshops, education programs, site visits, farm plans, and consultation on land, water, and wildlife management.
