Obscure Seattle election offers experiment in online voting

SEATTLE (AP) — An election for a volunteer board in the Seattle area is so obscure that voter turnout is typically less than 1%. Officials are giving online voting a trial run this year to try to boost turnout and explore how it might work in a bigger election.

It will be the first election in the country in which every registered voter is eligible to vote online, using their phone or a touch-screen device, The Seattle Times reported Wednesday, citing Tusk Philanthropies. The nonprofit is partnering with King County on the pilot project during the race for the King Conservation District Board of Supervisors.

“This election could be a key step in moving toward electronic access and return for voters across the region,” said Julie Wise, county elections director. “My role here is to remove barriers to voting.”

Online voting trials also have been offered in a few other states for absentee and military voters, but many security experts have warned against expanding it, saying it could be vulnerable to hacking.

Wise acknowledged that many people may be leery about voting online.

“There’s a lot of things we do online — banking, health records — that are also of concern for people that are secure,” Wise said. “I’ve vetted this, technology experts in the region have vetted this to ensure that this is a safe, secure voting opportunity.”

The King Conservation District has 35 employees and a budget of $7.8 million, and it encompasses most of King County, home to Seattle. It works with landowners on conservation efforts such as habitat restoration, forest management and shoreline protection. The Board of Supervisors, with three elected members and two appointed ones, has no regulatory powers.

Candidates in this year’s election are Chris Porter, a...