Pierce County voters heading to ballot drop boxes before the Tuesday, Nov. 3, election will have plainclothes National Guard soldiers keeping watch nearby.

The county is one of seven across Washington that accepted Gov. Bob Ferguson's offer of unarmed National Guard personnel to monitor drop boxes. About 100 soldiers total are deployed statewide, according to Karina Shagren, spokesperson for the Washington Military Department, as The Seattle Times reported.

King, Snohomish, Thurston, Clark, Lewis and Island counties also opted in, according to the governor's office.

What it looks like at the drop box

The soldiers will not wear uniforms and will not interact with voters dropping off ballots. In Pierce County, they report to the Pierce County Auditor and serve in what the county described as "a purely supportive role," according to a statement from the auditor's office posted Oct. 23.

Guard members will not touch, handle or participate in processing ballots, the statement said. If they encounter any issues, they will call 911.

That is the extent of their authority.

Ferguson dubbed the program an "Election Neighborhood Watch" in his letter to county auditors offering the assistance. He wrote that the personnel would "inconspicuously monitor ballot drop boxes or other high-traffic areas where voting occurs."

Why the state acted

Ferguson cited two incidents in his letter. In 2024, then-Gov. Jay Inslee activated the National Guard after an incendiary device hit a ballot box in Vancouver, Wash., destroying hundreds of ballots. The Seattle Times reported the arsonist has not been caught.

Ferguson also pointed to letters containing white powder sent to several officials, including the secretary of state's office.

"Amid these recent developments and the highly charged atmosphere of this election, my administration is taking every precaution to ensure that every vote counts and that counties have the resources they need to monitor and respond to potential threats," Ferguson wrote.

Ballot returns and the deadline

As of Friday, Oct. 30, more than 1.5 million ballots had been returned statewide out of more than 5 million registered voters. Nearly 70% came in through drop boxes, according to the secretary of state's office, The Seattle Times reported.

Secretary of State Steve Hobbs and U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell flagged sluggish postal deliveries before the August primary that led to thousands of ballots getting disqualified as late, The Seattle Times reported. Both urged voters to drop off ballots in person.

Ballots must be postmarked or placed in drop boxes by 8 p.m. Tuesday to be counted.