Benton County’s busy elections division is moving to a new home in time for this fall’s presidential election.

The new county election center – in a decommissioned fire station that’s being gutted and remodeled – will have an observation area with floor-to-ceiling windows, plus additional safety features, and an office and workspace with room to grow.

The former fire station is off West Quinault Avenue, near the county’s Kennewick campus, which includes the administration building and justice center, among other buildings.

It’s a move that will enhance voter services, transparency and safety, said Brenda Chilton, county auditor. The elections division is one of four divisions within the auditor’s office.

For many years, election work happened largely in the county courthouse in Prosser.

“But the complexion of elections has changed significantly since (the state) went to vote-by-mail, and it really changed our facility needs,” Chilton said.

The Covid-19 pandemic also meant more space was required, and a greater presence became necessary in the Tri-Cities, where most of the county’s population lives, she said.

In recent years, the county has been leasing space at 2618 N. Columbia Center Blvd., Richland, for the elections division. The building used to be home to Chuck E. Cheese.

About five auditor’s office employees work for the elections division in Richland, and additional temporary workers are hired during peak election times.

The new election center is scheduled to be finished by the end of August.

If construction remains on schedule, “after we certify the primary election, we’ll start moving our equipment,” with the goal of being able to start general election planning in the new facility, Chilton told the Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business.

At first, only ballot processing and tabulation will move. Voter services will remain at the leased Columbia Center Boulevard building through the general election.

“We don’t want to confuse voters as to where they need to go” for help registering to vote or with questions about their ballots, Chilton said.

Voters in Prosser will continue being able to seek help at the county courthouse, and a special voting center also will be set up at the county fairgrounds in Kennewick in the days leading up to the general election to help meet the demand.

Chilton said she’s excited about the new voting center space. A permanent facility in the Tri-Cities has been in her office’s long-term strategic plan for years.

With the observation area reinforced with bulletproof glass, carded entry for staff and other features, it’s going to be a safe place where the public can see for themselves that the county elections are secure, Chilton said.

The county bought the former fire station for $1.1 million. The price tag for construction is $2.6 million, said Riley Ollero, the county’s construction manager.

Banlin Construction in Kennewick is the general contractor, and MMEC Architecture and Interiors, which has offices in Kennewick and Spokane, handled the design.

“We’re able to take this older facility and modernize it and repurpose the building,” Ollero said, noting the facade will be updated to match the county administration building.

The project also includes adding an access road, parking and signage.