Next week the Pierce County Council will vote on a resolution supporting the continued practice of poll voting. The decision whether or not to use polling places is currently made by the Pierce County Auditor's Office. Pierce is the only county in Washington to still operate polls and physical polling stations in many elections, a tradition that may soon meet its demise as the legislature considers bills that would make voting by mail the law. Poll voters make up a small minority in Pierce County; in last November's election only about 11 percent, fewer than 30,000 people, voted at polling places.

Does the overwhelming movement in our county to voting by mail reflect a community that is ready to lay our polling places to rest? Four community leaders think otherwise-

Longtime local organizer and former chair of the 27^th District Democrats Jeannie Mitchell says she believes polling places are symbolic of the political tradition and identity of Pierce County. "Even though it is a small amount of people that actually use the polls, they give us a sense of identity as a county," Mitchell says. She does point out, though that while many argue polls bring out more voters, she doesn't believe that tends to be true.

Tacoma City Councilwoman Victoria Woodards says that although she is usually an absentee voter she believes there is great value in the availability of polling places in Pierce County. "In certain moments and elections, like when I voted for President Obama, I have chosen to still go to the polls because of the great tradition (of voting in a booth)," Woodards says. The councilwoman points out that despite the tradition, she understands the fiscal responsibility that Pierce County has and that polling places are an expense the community does not necessarily depend on. 

Local activist and comedian Kris "Save Our Sonics" Brannon says interaction is an important part of local politics, and says voting by mail robs the community of an important tradition. "Interaction is a big part of a good democracy, and nobody has taught me how to interact with my mailbox," he says with a laugh.

Organizer and entrepreneur Justin Mayfield echoes Brannon's sentiment. "We do so much of our interacting now from our living room," he says. "And face to face interactions are most important."

Such interactions, says Mayfield, are essential to politics.