Thurston County, Washington

The content on the Thurston County website is currently provided in English. We are providing the “Translation” for approximately 10 languages. The goal of the translation is to provide visitors with limited English proficiency to access information on the website in other languages. The translations do not translate all types of documents, and it may not give you an exact translation all the time. The translations are made through an automated process, which may not result in accurate or precise translations, particularly of technical and legal terminology.
County Contacts
Logo

Thurston County Washington

Thurston County Auditor’s Office Updates over 30,000 Registration Records to Ensure Accurate Voter Rolls

October 22, 2024

CONTACT: 
Mary Hall, Thurston County Auditor  
TCAuditor@co.thurston.wa.us 
360.786.5224 
711 Washington Relay   

OLYMPIA – During the first nine months of 2024, the Thurston County Auditor’s Elections Division updated over30,000 voter records for over 200,000 registered voters.  

"Ensuring up-to-date voter rolls is a year-long focus for our voter registration team," stated Mary Hall, Thurston County Auditor. "We collaborate daily with our state and federal partners to make sure that our voter records are current." 

Examples of these updates include:  

  • 794 voter registrations were canceled upon voter request.   
  • 1,985 voter registrations were canceled due to the death of the voter.  
  • 5,266 voter registrations were moved to inactive status because of undeliverable mail. (Inactive voters do not receive a ballot unless they contact us and update their address.)  

The Auditor’s Office collaborates with trusted sources to maintain the accuracy of voter registration data:   

  • The Office of the Secretary of State  
  • The Social Security Administration  
  • The United States Postal Service National Change of Address Program  
  • Other state agencies, including Licensing, Health, Corrections, and the Office of the Administrator of the Courts  

The Auditor’s Office also eliminates registrations of deceased persons using health department data, published obituaries or written notices from relatives.  

Washington State is a member of the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC). ERIC employs data matching software to compare voter registration and motor vehicle licensing data across 30 other states, ensuring voters are not registered in multiple states. In 2024, the Auditor’s Office updated 1,325 voter records using ERIC data.  

“The voters themselves play the largest role in making sure our voter rolls are accurate,” Hall said. If voters receive a ballot for a deceased voter, a voter who has moved, or anyone not residing at that address, they should contact the Auditor’s Office. Voters can also return the ballot through USPS by writing “Deceased” or “Not at this address” and depositing it in the mail. The postal service returns those ballots and other election mail to the Auditor’s Office, who cancels or inactivates the voter according to state and federal law.  

###

Elections