Greetings from Olympia!
 
Summer is here! I am excited about the change of seasons and warmer temperatures, and look forward to getting reacquainted with the great outdoors.
 
Over the last couple of weeks many of our executive and Elections staff attended this year’s virtual Elections Conference, presented by the Washington State Association of County Auditors (WSACA). Each year county auditors and elections administrators meet to learn about and discuss the latest in election best practices and trends, and to affirm our commitment to conduct elections Washingtonians can be proud of.
 
Speaking of elections, the Aug. 3 primary is approaching, and ballots will be mailed to voters statewide by July 16. If you have not registered to vote, or if you need to update your registration, go to VoteWA.gov today, or visit our Elections website for more information.
 
I appreciate your time and interest in our office. Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, or visit our website, sos.wa.gov, to keep abreast of important updates and information.
 
Thank you for the privilege of serving as your Secretary of State.
 
Sincerely, 

Elsewhere on the elections front, Candidate Filing Week ended May 21. More than 4,400 people filed to run for over 3,200 state and county offices across Washington, including over 100 mayor and 500 fire district positions, and many others in city and county councils, and port, hospital, school, cemetery, airport, water, sewer, and park and recreation districts.
 
People who run for public office and serve as elected officials have an opportunity to help shape the future of our state, counties, and communities. Most of the offices up for election this year are local and have the greatest impact on our daily lives. For more information, including the offices that are open for election, the candidates who have filed, and answers to frequently asked questions, visit our Elections site.

In late May, Washington State Library (WSL), State Library of Oregon, and Oregon Heritage Commission launched Northwest Digital Heritage (NWDH) to expand public access and visibility to cultural heritage organizations in the Pacific Northwest.
 
NWDH is also a Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) “service hub,” bringing the local collections of libraries, museums, and other institutions to a wider audience. DPLA is an online public library of copyrighted, public-domain, and openly licensed digital content featuring cultural heritage items from around the country. Visitors can search and browse among millions of items at dp.la/browse-by-partner. Oregon and Washington content can be viewed here.
 
Northwest Digital Heritage’s inaugural dataset includes archives from over 70 contributing institutions, with more expected to join later this year and in 2022. Many of these materials were digitized through WSL’s Washington Rural Heritage program, a community digitization model that will be expanded to Oregon through this partnership.
 
Read our news release and blog for more information.

More than $3.67 million will be available to help public, academic, and tribal libraries and museums statewide. The funding is part of the $200 million allocated in the American Rescue Plan Act to the Institute of Museum and Library Services in response to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic.
 
Washington State Library will award grants to help museums and libraries implement and sustain public health protocols, and defray technology, personnel, training, supplies, equipment, and other operating costs. In addition, the grants will enable libraries and museums to enhance their digital-inclusion efforts, such as creating or expanding internet hotspots, Wi-Fi capabilities, and digital content and resources supporting education, health, and workforce development.
 
Libraries and museums are critical to our communities’ vitality and well-being. Part of addressing the pandemic is to ensure they have the resources and bandwidth they need to deliver the important services people rely on every day. Qualified libraries and museums are encouraged to apply online. For more information about ARPA funding, click here.

An exciting part of our office is the opportunity to celebrate centennials of organizations that have made a tremendous impact in our state.
 
I recently had the honor of presenting the Washington State Patrol (WSP) with a certificate of commendation at the Fallen Officer Memorial on Capitol Campus. During the ceremony, Chief John Batiste and I exchanged challenge coins, one of which observes the 45th anniversary of the state’s first women troopers. Read more about it here.
 
I am incredibly proud of WSP, and we are truly fortunate to have such dedicated and brave people serving all Washingtonians.

90 YEARS AND COUNTING: There’s a lot going on at the Washington Talking Book & Braille Library (WTBBL). This year, WTBBL — along with the National Library Services for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS) — is celebrating its 90th anniversary.
 
On May 25, WTBBL hosted “90 Years of Access: A History of WTBBL and NLS,” a Zoom webinar about the people and events in Seattle and across the nation that have made these important services possible. If you missed it, no worries — it’s now online! Click here, and learn more about how WTBBL has partnered with the Library of Congress to make reading more accessible.

COMMUNITY TOUCHSTONE: WTBBL was named the winner of this year’s Community Touchstone Award. Given by the Junior League of Seattle, the award celebrates organizations that embody the spirit of voluntarism and community action.
 
We have a long history with the Junior League — nearly a century, back when the league produced braille books for our readers and throughout the years when they have volunteered for us.
 
The Junior League will present the award at its Catalyst Luncheon in September. For more information, click here.
 
These are some of the many activities WTBBL is sharing throughout the year. Visit wtbbl.org, and follow WTBBL on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. For more information, call 1-800-542-0866.