Washington National Guard personnel are set to monitor ballot drop boxes and other busy voting locations across the state during the 2026 general election, after Governor Bob Ferguson offered counties extra security support ahead of polling day on November 3.
The deployment will be voluntary and troops will operate in civilian clothing without weapons. Their role will be limited to observing sites, reporting concerns and coordinating with local authorities if necessary.
They will not handle ballots, empty drop boxes or approach voters, according to the governor’s proposal. The arrangement has been described as an “Election Neighborhood Watch” intended to provide an additional presence around election infrastructure.
Clark, King, Pierce, Thurston and Snohomish counties are among those to have accepted the offer. Spokane County, however, has declined the assistance, saying its existing election security arrangements were sufficient.
Security concerns before Washington election
Mr Ferguson’s decision follows a series of letters containing suspicious white powder sent to election-related offices and congressional representatives, including the Washington Secretary of State’s office and the offices of Pramila Jayapal and Adam Smith.
The FBI and US Postal Inspection Service said they were investigating similar mailings sent to election officials and political offices across the country. No hazardous material had been identified in the substances tested at the time of their alert, although officials warned that suspicious material should be treated as potentially dangerous.
The governor also referred to the 2024 attack on a ballot drop box in Vancouver, Washington, when an incendiary device caused a fire and destroyed hundreds of ballots. National Guard personnel were placed on standby after that incident under the state’s previous governor, Jay Inslee.
Clark County has since begun installing cameras at its 22 official ballot boxes. The county says the systems will record the area around the boxes but will not transmit vehicle registration details to a shared database.
In Snohomish County, any participating Guard personnel will report to the county auditor and carry out limited overnight monitoring. The exact number of service members assigned across Washington has not been disclosed.
Washington’s election offices are due to coordinate with Guard personnel before November 3. Ballot drop boxes will close at 8pm on election day, with counties continuing their established collection, processing and audit procedures.
