In a precedent-setting move, members of the Washington National Guard are being deployed in seven counties to help protect ballot drop boxes in the final days of the election.
The mission, dubbed Election Neighborhood Watch by Gov. Bob Ferguson, appears to be the first large-scale activation of National Guard members to provide greater security of ballots cast in the state’s mail-in system. Nearly 70% of ballots returned so far arrived from a drop box.
As of Friday afternoon, National Guard members were headed to King, Pierce, Snohomish, Thurston, Clark, Lewis and Island counties. Secretary of State Steve Hobbs, who is also a National Guard member, said this “has not been done before.”…