Thurston’s Mary Hall honored by state for drive-through voting center, ballot access
Thurston County Auditor Mary Hall has been honored by the Washington Secretary of State for ensuring voting access during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Secretary of State Kim Wyman named Thurston County Auditor Mary Hall the 2020 Auditor of the Year on Monday. Hall received the recognition during an online Washington Association of County Auditors annual meeting, according to a Thursday news release from her office.
In presenting her with the award, Wyman cited Hall’s work creating a drive-through voting center at the South Puget Sound Community College campus in Olympia.
“When it became evident COVID-19 would pose significant obstacles to voter access and safety, Auditor Hall stepped up to coordinate a safe place for her staff and Thurston County voters,” Wyman says in the release.
The voting center opened in July 2020 ahead of the Aug. 4 primary election. At the time, Hall told The Olympian the county needed a safe way for voters to procure replacement ballots and drop them off.
The county auditor’s office was simply too small to accommodate the thousands of people who typically visit during election seasons, she said at the time. After the success of the center, Hall’s office replicated the model during the general election in November.
Wyman credited Hall with equipping staff with necessary personal protective equipment to keep them and voters safe amid what she called an “influx of in-person activity,” according to the release.
Hall accepted the award but drew attention to her staff who worked on the drive-through voting center.
“There is no way I earned this award alone. The staff we have at the Auditor’s Office are a dedicated and unique group,” Hall says in the release. “We knew we had to pivot hard at the beginning of the pandemic. They did not blink for a second.”
Thurston County Public Health and Social Services has been using a similar drive-through model to deliver COVID-19 vaccines at the same campus.
In her recognition of Hall, Wyman also noted her legislative record. She said Hall has worked to secure state funding for elections and expand access to the ballot.
“Aside from her many preparations for the 2020 election, Auditor Hall remains a leader in legislative efforts related to elections and is committed to sharing with legislators and the public the painstaking work of election officials to keep our elections free, fair, and secure,” Wyman said.
Some of the bills she has advocated for have allowed for same-day voter registration, as well as expanded automatic voter registration, pre-registration and universal registration, according to the release.
Thurston County voters first elected Hall in 2013. Like most other county auditors, she is responsible for supervising elections and voter registration, recording and maintaining county records, licensing vehicles and vessels and other financial services.
This story was originally published May 14, 2021 at 12:06 PM.
