Auditor


Duties & Responsibilities

The County Auditor’s duties and responsibilities are diverse and wide-ranging; the Asotin County Auditor's Office performs four main functions:

  • Ex-officio supervisor of elections and voter registration
  • Financial services
  • Licensing of marriages, vehicles and vessels
  • Recording and maintenance of permanent county records
  1. Elections / Voting
  2. Recorder
  3. Finance
  4. Licensing
  5. Additional Duties

Elections & Voter Registration

The auditor is responsible for administering all elections for:

  • County
  • Federal
  • Municipal
  • Special purpose districts
  • State

In addition to the annual primary and general election, as many as four special elections are conducted each year from February through May.

As part of the election process, the auditor:

  • Establishes polling sites
  • Prepares ballots and voting devices
  • Programs and tests ballot tabulation systems
  • Provides for public notices
  • Recruits, trains and assigns precinct election workers

Absentee Ballots

The auditor also provides for the preparation and mailing of absentee ballots to any voter upon request. Some counties have elected to conduct elections entirely by mail.

Tabulating Ballots & Publication of Results

The auditor is responsible for tabulation of ballots and publication of official election returns. The auditor chairs the county canvassing board, which also includes the prosecuting attorney and the chair of the county legislative authority. This board determines the status of provisional ballots and certifies official election returns, which are then transmitted to the Secretary of State.

Registration Records

As chief registrar of voters, each auditor maintains voter registration records that are sent to the statewide voter registration database at the Secretary of State's office. Voter registrations received through the motor voter program, by mail or in person are all processed by the auditor or by the Secretary of State and added to the statewide voter registration database. Name and address changes, deletions due to death or voting inactivity, as defined in statute, also become part of the database.

Mapping & Boundaries

Maintenance of jurisdictional boundary lines and assignment of voters to their appropriate congressional, legislative and special purpose districts fall under the responsibility of the county auditor. The auditor works cooperatively with the census officials to define precinct boundary lines and to assist with redistricting efforts by special districts.

Bilingual Documentation

Four counties are required by the federal Voting Rights Act to provide bilingual election information and ballots. King County must provide these materials in both English and Chinese, and Adams, Franklin and Yakima counties must provide ballots and election information in English and Spanish.