Auditor outlines precinct boundary changes, Tumwater and Yelm annexations to affect precincts and voters

Auditor staff presented a 2026 precinct maintenance plan Jan. 13 that proposes multiple precinct splits and boundary adjustments to keep precinct sizes within the state limit of 1,500 active registered voters and to reflect recent and pending annexations by the cities of Tumwater and Yelm.

Laura, presenting for the auditors, said the county currently has roughly 294 precincts and that growth and two annexations (a small Tumwater annexation near 93rd and Case Road and a larger Yelm annexation) prompted changes. The plan proposes forming or reconfiguring named precincts such as Heartwood South, Evergreen Ballroom South (creating Union Mills), McAllister East/West, multiple Lacey precinct adjustments, and several new Tomwater and Young precincts tied to new development.

Auditor staff said the proposal would increase the county precinct count to 308 and estimated approximately 9,161 voters would be affected by the boundary changes and annexation-related adjustments. Staff emphasized that precinct legal descriptions and boundary changes must comply with RCW requirements — precincts must be wholly within single legislative and congressional districts, contiguous, compact and under 1,500 active registered voters — and noted some precincts were being changed proactively to accommodate anticipated housing developments.

Commissioners discussed timing constraints: staff advised that March is a preferred deadline to complete changes ahead of candidate filing periods and that precinct lines cannot be changed within seven days of filing or when an election (such as an April election) is active. The auditors recommended public outreach and flagged that annexation decisions (especially in Yelm) could affect final lines.

Next steps: The board will set and hold a public hearing (staff indicated Feb. 17 as the proposed hearing date) before finalizing changes. Staff said they will continue outreach and return with finalized legal descriptions and maps to meet election deadlines.

Authorities referenced: state precinct rules were described in the presentation; specific RCW citations were not read aloud in the precinct slides but compliance requirements were discussed.