White v. Skagit County

¶1 Skagit and Island Counties denied a Public Records Act request for copies of voted ballots. In view of Washington’s constitutional and statutory provisions protecting ballot secrecy, we hold the requested records are exempt.

¶2 The 2013 general election was held on November 5. The next day, Appellant Timothy White made a request of Skagit and Island Counties under the Public Records Act, chapter 42.56 RCW. He asked for “copies of electronic or digital image files” of all pretabulated ballots received, cast, voted, or otherwise used in the election.1 Both counties denied the request.

¶3 The…