Mail-In Voting More Accessible in Kettle Falls

There’s a new ballot box in Kettle Falls. The Stevens County and Kettle Falls governments installed a “drive-up-able” voter registration drop box in Happy Dell Park last week. “Planning and prioritizing has been an effort of mine for the last year,” said Stevens County Auditor Lori Larsen. “My collaboration with the city of Kettle Falls was quite rapid. They were responsive and motivated, and I’m very appreciative.” Larsen added, “Installing the voter drop box is a small piece of a bigger issue. There were a growing number of too-late ballots in the last election. It has become more urgent due to concerns about the United States Postal Service (USPS).

One concern is that the application of postmarks has changed. Postmarks are no longer ap- plied at the local level, and this causes de- lays.” According to Larsen, there have been ballot boxes located in Stevens County for several years. “The drop box community has included spots in Chewelah, Colville, Nine Mile Falls, Northport, Springdale, Loon Lake, and Wellpinit. We purchased five additional ballot drop boxes during the last budget year. But time, staff, and budget have all contributed to the delay in installation. New ballot drop boxes will also be ready for the November election in the communities of Addy, Marcus, Valley, and Clayton.” The newest ballot drop box in Kettle Falls is located at 425 W. 3rd Ave. “The decision was voted in by the city council,” said Kettle Falls Mayor Jesse Garrett. “There was not a lot of negative discussion.

The auditor asked for one in Kettle Falls on city property, and we determined that Happy Dell Park is a great location due to ease of access and cameras. Now residents of Kettle Falls don’t have to drive to Colville if they want to utilize a drop box. I’d really like to see the ballot box utilized to get people voting and expressing their opinions. I’m all for it.” When voters are considering whether to mail in a ballot or use a ballot drop box, it may be important to consider how long it might take the USPS to deliver it to its destination. “With a ballot box, a ballot can be dropped off as late as 8 p.m. on election day,” said Larsen. “When mailing in a ballot, we encourage voters to mail it at least one week before election day.” “Ballot boxes are needed to encourage more people to utilize the voting system,” explained Garrett.

“The presence of the boxes can make the voting process not so much of an irritant. If people don’t want to get out of their cars, they don’t have to. Voters can pull up to the ballot box and drop in their ballot.” Any registered voter can use the ballot box without having to park and leave the vehicle, he said. “Ballot boxes help create shared commitment, good government, and service to citizens,” said Larsen. “We have worked to find ways to safeguard voter return of ballots. For me, this is an urgent issue and one of the highest priorities in 2026.” She continued, “The installation of the ballot drop box in Happy Dell Park is a happy event in our pursuit of our mission to give voters choices and convenient access to returning their ballot.”

Stevens County is responsible for maintaining the ballot boxes, according to interlocal agreements. Larsen encourages citizens to check out the new Kettle Falls voter drop box. “I would love to be the recipient of people taking fun selfies with the new drop box that we can post on the website.