It’s settled.
The Yakima County Commissioners have settled a lawsuit filed by The League of United Latin American Citizens, the Latino Community Fund and two Central Washington residents who claimed Latino voters ballots were rejected at a higher rate than other residents because of the problem with mismatched signatures.
THE SETTLEMENT MEANS YAKIMA COUNTY MUST PAY
The settlement calls for the county to pay 75,000 in legal fees. Benton and Chelan counties settled in October. The suit was filed in 2021 in federal court.
The settlement calls for election staff in Yakima County to get training on signature verification.
YAKIMA COUNTY HAS STRONG PROCEDURES IN PLACE LIKE OTHER COUNTIES
Election officials say the signature helps identify ballots as they compare the signatures on ballots to signatures on file to make sure the person who filled out the ballot is legitimate. The lawsuit alleged that Latino ballots were rejected at a higher rate than others in Yakima, Benton and Chelan counties.
YAKIMA ISN’T ADMITTING IT WAS WRONG
Even though the settlement was reached Yakima County officials say they did not admit they were liable or responsible for the alleged problem. Yakima County Auditor Charles Ross says the settlement was reached to avoid further legal problems. He says he doesn’t believe any procedures were incorrect.
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