Canvassing draws attention

People associated with a group called the Mason County Election Integrity Committee have been canvassing door-to-door in the county and aren’t associated with the Mason County Auditor’s Office or any other official government office, the state Auditor’s Office and Secretary of State’s Office said in separate news releases Monday.

Despite the official-sounding title, the Mason County Election Integrity Committee is a group of private individuals who have no recognized authority, officials said. Residents are free to refuse to answer questions and ask the group to leave their property at any time.

“I understand this kind of canvassing can be intrusive and concerning to voters,” Mason County Auditor Paddy McGuire said in the statement. “People are under no obligation to provide information to someone who comes to their door asking about their voting information. It is perfectly within their right to refuse to answer any questions from someone they do not know.”

The auditor’s release said its office does not go door-to-door to gather voting information and does not have authority to authorize or prohibit groups from doing so. The statement added that no Mason County employee will ever ask a voter for information about who or what they voted for.

“I want to assure Washington voters that you are under no obligation to answer any questions from, or disclose information to, an individual or organization you are not comfortable or familiar with,” Secretary of State Steve Hobbs said in a news release. “No one from the Office of the Secretary of State or any county elections office knows or will ever ask you how you voted; nor will they visit your home to verify information.”

According to the Mason County Auditor’s release, canvassing for and with voter information is legal under state law. While some voting information — such as name, address and whether a voter returned a ballot in an election — is public record, what a person confirms to someone at their front door is up to that individual. Responses are voluntary. The release added that “anyone claiming to know which candidates or issues someone voted for is not being truthful. All votes are completely secret. All ballots are separated from any identifying information before they are counted. Neither election officials nor third parties know how someone voted.”

Mason County has 44,000 registered voters and, according to county information, the office uses multiple sources — including the Social Security Administration, the state Department of Licensing, state death records and the U.S. Postal Service — to keep that information as up to date as possible.

“If you have questions or concerns about your voting status or registration, I encourage you to reach out to your local elections official or the Office of the Secretary of State,” Hobbs added.

The auditor’s release said that voters can help keep the voter rolls current. If a voter receives a ballot for someone who no longer lives at their address, they can write “no longer at this address” and place the unopened envelope back in the mail. When voters move, they are encouraged to update their voter record. To do that, voters can go to VoteWA.gov or give the Auditor’s Office a call at 360-427-9670 ext. 470 or email elections@

masoncountywa.gov.

Author Bio

Justin Johnson, Editor

Shelton-Mason County Journal & Belfair Herald
Email: [email protected]