Larry Grove, the Lewis County Auditor, locks the last ballot box in his office in Chehalis in November 2017.
Last year, the Lewis County Auditor’s Office installed eight new ballot boxes throughout Lewis County to comply with a new state law — a law that cost the county more than $30,000, plus ongoing maintenance and operation expenses.
While the law provided more access to boxes throughout the county, some believe it violated a state statute regarding unfunded mandates, or requirements made upon local governments with no accompanying compensation.
Lewis County has submitted a claim to the state risk manager for the $32,000 it cost Lewis County to install the boxes.
Civil Deputy Prosecutor Eric Eisenberg said Tuesday that it costs the county another approximately $2,000 to operate and maintain the additional boxes.
Eisenberg said the county won’t know if the state will reimburse the money until next year’s legislative session.
“We’ll see what they say,” he said.
