Online filing for Precinct Committee Officers (PCO)

By Sandy McConnell
Program Manager Election Operations
King County Elections

Last year the legislature passed a bill that removed the filing fee for PCOs.

King County Eleections is developing an online candidate filing for PCOs, similar to the other candidate filing. It is important for all candidates to use it and there are many benefits to the parties, candidates and our department.

Candidates will be able to file from their home, a library, our office: anywhere they have access to a computer. Every year we have numerous candidates file in the wrong precinct and we have to contact these individuals to inform them of the errors they have made on the forms. Candidates also find out (sometimes too late for those who file at the last minute) that they have failed to update their voter registration if they have recently moved. When we receive the bulk filings from the party representatives there may be missing information, again requiring our office to make contact with candidates. All this is very time consuming and puts everyone at a greater risk for error.

When a person files online it is as simple as filing out the paper form. Candidates will enter required information and only the precinct for which they are eligible will be offered as a filing option. If their address is out of date they will know this immediately. If they omit any information they will not be able to proceed until they fill in the required field.

Candidates who have completed their filing will be listed on our web site twice daily throughout filing week. This will keep everyone up to date on which precincts have no candidates filed and limit the number of unintentionally contested races.

Accuracy and efficiency will realized by King County Elections in the processing of declarations. In addition to the number of reasons requiring staff to make contact with candidates, we also experience a challenge in deciphering handwriting on forms and the lay out and proofing of the ballot is a labor intensive endeavor. When a candidate uses online candidate filing the information entered will be drawn directly from our voter registration system and linked directly to the system that puts the candidate on the correct ballot. We will drastically reduce the number of hours spent entering candidate names and therefore reduce the number of errors. We have experienced this improved process over the past 4 years when other elected officials have used online candidate filing.

Some quick answers to potential questions:

• A space will be provided to enter the name you want to appear on the ballot.
• A line will be provided for a mailing address.
• If you want to see who has filed, go on our website and see if someone has filed in your precinct and party.
• If you do not have access to a computer our office at 919 SW Grady Way, Renton, WA 98057, 206-296-1565, will have a bank of computers available with staff available to assist, so no computer skills are required.
• This is a secure and private way to file. However, any information you provide becomes a public record after you complete the declaration.

We have been using online candidate filing for all offices for the last four years and receive great reviews from users. More than 80% of candidates used on line candidate filing last year.
Our office will have a paper record of all filings.

I have included a flier for any potential candidate for PCO. In years past the Public Disclosure Commission produced paper declaration for candidates, but this year, as a cost-savings measure, they will not be distributing forms to counties. With the Secretary of State office now making online candidate filing available across the state, everyone is hoping for no paper, no waste. Our office will have a printout of the completed form that every candidate files as a record. I am confident that we will all benefit from this new development.