HomeMy WebLinkAbout081826 email - RE_ Jefferson County Canvassing Board - no remote access to meetingALERT: BE CAUTIOUS This email originated outside the organization. Do not open attachments or click on links if you are not expecting them.
Brenda,
It’s never wrong to do the right thing, even when it’s not required by the law.
Your willingness to unnecessarily limit public participation in the election process is discouraging, particularly these days when our election system at all levels is under attack by
the federal government.
You also have not answered either of the two questions that I asked.
Tom Thiersch
From: Brenda Huntingford <BHuntingford@co.jefferson.wa.us>
Sent: Tuesday, August 18, 2026 8:47 AM
To: Tom Thiersch <tprosys@gmail.com>; jeffbocc <jeffbocc@co.jefferson.wa.us>
Cc: elections <elections@co.jefferson.wa.us>; Philip Hunsucker <PHunsucker@co.jefferson.wa.us>
Subject: RE: Jefferson County Canvassing Board - no remote access to meeting
Good morning, Tom,
Thank you for presenting this issue to us.
We agree that the Canvassing Board is subject to the Open Public Act (OPMA), but OPMA does not require hybrid meetings.
RCW 29A.60.140 <https://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=29A.60.140> and WAC 434-262-025 <https://app.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=434-262-025> require that canvassing boards
follow OPMA, but they do not contain a requirement for hybrid meetings. Similarly, the Jefferson County Canvassing Board Manual (January 9, 2024) requires OPMA compliance but does not
require hybrid meetings.
Section 4- Open Public Meetings All meetings of the Canvassing Board are open public meetings under Chapter 42.30 RCW and shall be appropriately noticed and shall be continued until
the activity for which the meeting held is completed. A record of the proceedings of the Canvassing Board shall be made and maintained in the County Auditor’s Office and shall be made
available for public inspection and copying. (RCW 29A.60.140(5)).
Jefferson County Canvassing Board Manual (January 9, 2024), https://www.co.jefferson.wa.us/DocumentCenter/View/17813/Official-CB-Manual---Adopted-192024?bidId= <https://www.co.jefferson.wa.us/Documen
tCenter/View/17813/Official-CB-Manual---Adopted-192024?bidId=> , Accessed August 17, 2026. OPMA does not require hybrid meetings and neither does Resolution No. 50-22 <https://www.co.jefferson.wa.us
/DocumentCenter/View/15843/OPMA102022?bidId=> .
* “Public agencies are encouraged to provide for the increased ability of the public to observe and participate in the meetings of governing bodies through real-time telephonic, electronic,
internet, or other readily available means of remote access that do not require an additional cost to access the meeting.” RCW 42.30.030 <https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=42.30.030>
(2) (emphasis added).
* According to MRSC, “Local governments can (but are not required to) offer a remote attendance option to join the meeting held at a physical location, and this is referred to as a hybrid
meeting.” Practical Tips for Holding Hybrid Meetings, MRSC (May 8, 2023), https://mrsc.org/stay-informed/mrsc-insight/may-2023/practical-tips-for-holding-hybrid-meetings <https://mrsc.org/stay-infor
med/mrsc-insight/may-2023/practical-tips-for-holding-hybrid-meetings> , Accessed August 17, 2026 (emphasis added).
* Resolution No. 50-22 <https://www.co.jefferson.wa.us/DocumentCenter/View/15843/OPMA102022?bidId=> does not require meetings be vitual. Section V.D. states that meeting agendas “must
(at a minimum include:” . . .
4. Whether the meeting [is] (sic) virtual, hybrid or in-person.
5. If virtual or hybrid, include information on how people can join the meeting.
Resolution 50-22 <https://www.co.jefferson.wa.us/DocumentCenter/View/15843/OPMA102022?bidId=> , Appendix A at 9 (emphasis added). Similarly, the Agenda Form in Appendix A identifies
three types of meetings, “In-person, Virtual Only or Hybrid.” Resolution 50-22 <https://www.co.jefferson.wa.us/DocumentCenter/View/15843/OPMA102022?bidId=> , Appendix A at 23. Thus,
Resolution No. 50-22 <https://www.co.jefferson.wa.us/DocumentCenter/View/15843/OPMA102022?bidId=> preserves a choice for in-person only meetings.
For the reasons discussed above, we respectfully disagree with your email. This email has been approved by the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
We will move forward with today’s Canvassing Board meeting based on the requirements outlined above, which do not require a hybrid format. We truly appreciate your suggestion and will
take it into consideration for future meetings.
On a related note, our Elections team has been operating one staff member short throughout this election. Providing a remote option requires facilities, space, and technology that we
do not currently have available.
We appreciate your input and will explore possibilities for our options in the future.
Sincerely,
From: Tom Thiersch <tprosys@gmail.com <mailto:tprosys@gmail.com> >
Sent: Monday, August 17, 2026 5:26 PM
To: Brenda Huntingford <BHuntingford@co.jefferson.wa.us <mailto:BHuntingford@co.jefferson.wa.us> >; jeffbocc <jeffbocc@co.jefferson.wa.us <mailto:jeffbocc@co.jefferson.wa.us> >
Cc: elections <elections@co.jefferson.wa.us <mailto:elections@co.jefferson.wa.us> >; Philip Hunsucker <PHunsucker@co.jefferson.wa.us <mailto:PHunsucker@co.jefferson.wa.us> >
Subject: RE: Jefferson County Canvassing Board - no remote access to meeting
ALERT: BE CAUTIOUS This email originated outside the organization. Do not open attachments or click on links if you are not expecting them.
Thank you, Brenda, for your reply.
Please note BoCC Resolution 50-52. That resolution explicitly includes “Canvassing Board” in the list of boards and committees to which the resolution applies (page 5) and which are
subject to the OPMA.
1. How do I see the “Camera view”?
2. How do I remotely provide oral Public Comment, as listed on the meeting agenda? A view-only camera will not meet that requirement.
The fact that remote attendance has not been a part of your process in the past does not justify the absence of interactive remote facilities now.
The legislature has made it abundantly clear that remote participation is essential; Jefferson County has done a good job in that respect, but with some notable exceptions.
The legislature further finds people participating in their government, especially through public comment, is an essential part of developing public policy. The legislature finds that
there are numerous developing technologies that can be used to facilitate public comment, especially for those with disabilities, underserved communities, and those who face time or
distance challenges when traveling to public meetings. Therefore, the legislature intends to encourage public agencies to make use of remote access tools as fully as practicable to
encourage public engagement and better serve their communities." [ 2022 c 115 s 1 <https://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/biennium/2021-22/Pdf/Bills/Session%20Laws/House/1329-S.SL.pdf?cite=2022%20c%20115%20
s%201> .]
I suppose you can use as an excuse that remote participation is not mandatory, but to ignore the intent of the legislature is not a good look.
Tom Thiersch
PS: What other counties do is not relevant; if they choose to violate or ignore the intent of the OPMA, that’s a matter for another day. My immediate concern is for the meetings in this
county.
From: Brenda Huntingford <BHuntingford@co.jefferson.wa.us <mailto:BHuntingford@co.jefferson.wa.us> >
Sent: Monday, August 17, 2026 4:40 PM
To: Tom Thiersch <tprosys@gmail.com <mailto:tprosys@gmail.com> >; jeffbocc <jeffbocc@co.jefferson.wa.us <mailto:jeffbocc@co.jefferson.wa.us> >
Cc: elections <elections@co.jefferson.wa.us <mailto:elections@co.jefferson.wa.us> >
Subject: RE: Jefferson County Canvassing Board - no remote access to meeting
Hi Tom,
Thank you for reaching out and sharing your concern regarding remote access to the August 18, 2026, Jefferson County Canvassing Board meeting.
All Canvassing Board meetings are open to the public and may be attended in person. A camera view is also provided so the public can observe the meeting remotely. However, remote participation
is not offered for Jefferson County Canvassing Board meetings and has not been part of our process in the past.
I also reviewed practices in a few other counties, and it appears that remote participation is generally not provided for their Canvassing Board meetings either.
Please let me know if you have any further questions.
Best regards,
From: Tom Thiersch <tprosys@gmail.com <mailto:tprosys@gmail.com> >
Sent: Monday, August 17, 2026 11:57 AM
To: jeffbocc <jeffbocc@co.jefferson.wa.us <mailto:jeffbocc@co.jefferson.wa.us> >
Cc: Brenda Huntingford <BHuntingford@co.jefferson.wa.us <mailto:BHuntingford@co.jefferson.wa.us> >
Subject: Jefferson County Canvassing Board - no remote access to meeting
ALERT: BE CAUTIOUS This email originated outside the organization. Do not open attachments or click on links if you are not expecting them.
Commissioners,
The agenda ( https://co.jefferson.wa.us/DocumentCenter/View/25299/2026-Aug-Certification-Agenda?bidId= <https://co.jefferson.wa.us/DocumentCenter/View/25299/2026-Aug-Certification-Agenda?bidId=>
)
posted for the August 18, 2026, meeting of the Jefferson County Canvassing Board does not include a remote access option; i.e., as posted, the meeting is only open for in-person attendance
by the public.
The lack of remote access would seem to be a violation of both the OPMA and county policy regarding meetings of committees.
Please provide remote access and amend the county calendar accordingly.
Thank you,
Tom Thiersch
Member, Washington Coalition for Open Government <https://www.washcog.org/>
==== [RCW 42.30.010 Open Public Meetings Act <https://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=42.30&full=true> ] ==== ==== [RCW 42.56.030 Public Records Act <https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?ci
te=42.56&full=true> ] ====
"The people of this state do not yield their sovereignty to the agencies that serve them. The people, in delegating authority, do not give their public servants the right to decide what
is good for the people to know and what is not good for them to know. The people insist on remaining informed and informing the people's public servants of their views so that they
may maintain control over the instruments that they have created."
###
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