GOP activists ready to spy on Washington ballot drop boxes to 'guard the vote'

Voters turning in their ballots around Washington state for the upcoming August primary may have a few extra eyes on them this year.

The Seattle Times first reported on the drop box watch program. Emailed questions to the group behind the program were not immediately answered.

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Since the 2020 election, former President Donald Trump and many of his supporters have fanned false claims of stolen elections and massive voter fraud. Now comes the 2022 election and evidence of that deep mistrust is on display.

In Washington state, with the August 2 primary approaching, a group calling itself "Guard The Vote" is recruiting volunteers to sign up for its Drop Box Watch Program. Citing the election fraud movie "2000 Mules," the group says it wants to surveil ballot drop boxes to watch for “suspicious activity” including people “dumping an inordinate amount of ballots.”

Mary Hall, the auditor in Thurston County, calls the situation unfortunate and says she’s concerned about voter intimidation. Meanwhile, King County Elections says it’s gotten reports of signs being placed near drop boxes saying surveillance is underway.

In Washington, there’s no prohibition against dropping off another person’s ballot for them. Furthermore, all voters must sign a voter declaration on their ballot envelope under penalty of law. Before the ballot is counted, that signature is matched to the voter signature that’s on file.

King County's election department issued a statement Tuesday evening that said it's removing the signs and asking the sheriff's office to investigate.

This story has been updated.