King County Council calls for audit of elections office

One week after King County Executive Ron Sims appointed a blue-ribbon commission to study the flawed 2004 election, the County Council voted unanimously yesterday to commission its own audit.

The Metropolitan King County Council authorized up to $350,000 for a detailed look at the elections office in the wake of the contested governor's election.

Election officials have acknowledged problems ranging from valid absentee ballots that weren't counted to provisional ballots that were improperly counted and illegal voting by felons.

Council members from both political parties said that they were deeply troubled by those kinds of mistakes and that a truly independent investigation is needed to restore public confidence in the election process.

"Enough is enough," said County Councilman Bob Ferguson, who first proposed the audit along with fellow Democrat Julia Patterson. "It's time for an independent review of our elections office, from the bottom up."

Patterson said the need for an audit became apparent in light of errors discovered recently, such as the revelation earlier this month that 94 valid absentee ballots weren't counted in the Nov. 2 election.

The council left another piece of election business on the table, delaying action for one week on an ordinance that would revive the Citizens' Election Oversight Committee, which made numerous recommendations last year for improving elections.

Council members are continuing to debate details of that proposal, particularly whether the original committee members should be reappointed or new ones brought in.

Sensitive to any hint of partisanship in the audit, the County Council specified yesterday that the consultant to be named must disclose any recent political connections by employees of the consultant and any subcontractors or paid experts.

Councilman Steve Hammond, R-Enumclaw, said the audit is intended to be "independent with a capital 'I.' The idea is to say that from both sides of the aisle."

Patterson said there will be a national search for a consultant, and added, "We will ask that partisans and political parties and others connected with political candidates make no effort whatever to apply."

Ryan Bayne, Sims' liaison to the County Council, said Sims supports both the audit and the council's plans to appoint a new oversight committee.

Bayne said he doesn't think the audit will duplicate the work of Sims' Commission on Elections because the audit "is going to be looking at a different level of detail."

Depending on the timing of the various probes, Bayne said, Sims' panel may rely on the audit and the Citizens' Oversight Committee for some of its fact-finding.

Ferguson said the credibility of Sims' panel may be damaged by Chairwoman Cheryl Scott's contribution of $1,000 to Democrat Sims' unsuccessful primary-election campaign for governor and her gifts of $2,700 to the eventual Democratic nominee, Christine Gregoire. Scott also held a fund-raiser valued at $378 for Republican candidate Dino Rossi.

"Let's be honest," Ferguson said. "For some people in this county, the executive-appointed commission is not in perception independent. Whether that's a fair criticism or not I'll leave to the reader to determine, but that's a real perception."

Keith Ervin: 206-464-2105 or kervin@seattletimes.com