Federal monitors and plainclothes Guard members are coming to King County's election. What changed since the Golden Gardens ballots

Two new groups of observers will be watching King County's Nov. 3 election, which includes Seattle's transit measure and the District 5 Council race.

Federal monitors. The U.S. Department of Justice told King County Elections Director Julie Wise it is sending election monitors, KUOW reported on Oct. 23. A county elections spokesperson told KUOW that in more than seven years with the county, the spokesperson had never seen a DOJ monitor sent there. A Justice Department official wrote to the county that "our monitors only observe," and a spokesperson said monitors watch for possible violations of federal law. KUOW reported that Washington's Secretary of State's office says observers may not touch ballots or equipment or interfere with voting, and county auditors can remove those who do. It was not clear how many monitors will come to King County. KUOW reported that Washington is one of at least 10 states with a county that received a similar notice.

National Guard observers. Gov. Bob Ferguson offered county auditors plainclothes, unarmed Guard members to watch ballot drop boxes and busy voting sites, KOMO News reported. According to KOMO, he cited the 2024 arson that burned ballots in Clark County and recent threatening letters with white powder sent to officials. By Oct. 23, King County was among five counties that had accepted, along with Clark, Pierce, Thurston and Snohomish, Fox 13 reported. The Guard members are there strictly to observe. They won't handle ballots, empty drop boxes or talk with voters, according to Fox 13. A King County Elections spokesperson described them to KING 5 as extra eyes and ears at the county's 101 drop boxes.

This is a follow-up to our Oct. 24 story, Ballots found dumped at Golden Gardens. Then, the news was 92 ballots found in a Seattle park and reissued by the county. What changed since is the security around voting itself.

What this means for Seattle voters

Nothing about how you vote changes. Ballots still need a Nov. 3 postmark or must be in an official drop box by 8 p.m. that day. Voters can track their ballot through the state's VoteWA portal. Elections are run by King County, and the City of Seattle has no role in either the federal monitors or the Guard program.

What our records add: what's on Seattle's part of the ballot

Proposition 1, the transit measure. The Council voted 9-0 on July 21 to send voters the renewal of the Seattle Transit Measure (CB 121226). The city's October revenue forecast estimates a renewed 0.3 percent sales tax would bring in about $94 million in 2027 and $125.4 million in 2028. We explained the measure in Prop. 1 on your ballot.

District 5. North Seattle voters are choosing between Nilu Jenks and Julie Kang for the seat Debora Juarez holds by appointment. Because the winner joins a nine-member Council, that seat can matter on close votes. Two parts of this month's RV package each passed with exactly six votes, the number needed to override a veto, as we reported in Mayor still undecided on RV package. Our race profile is District 5 votes Nov. 3. Two shootings in the district this week also brought the candidates' positions on Aurora Avenue back into focus. We cover them in Two North Seattle shootings.

What's next

• Now through Nov. 3: voting is underway. Drop boxes close at 8 p.m. on Election Day.
• Nov. 3 and after: King County Elections posts results on election night and updates them as more ballots are counted.
• The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is still investigating the Golden Gardens ballots, according to the KIRO 7 report we cited last week.