The King County Council has voted to make King County the largest local jurisdiction in the nation to conduct all elections by mail.

The new system will be in effect after the infrastructure is in place. The council appropriated $1,635,446 to initiate the transition.

"(The) decision is the beginning of the process for moving to vote-by-mail - not the end - and we have much preparation work ahead to ensure a smooth transition," said Larry Phillips, council chairman. "We have engaged our citizens to advise us and make meaningful recommendations, and we have brought in independent national experts."

"Thirty-four of 39 Washington counties have already moved to vote-by-mail, and the vast majority of King County's voters already use mail ballots," said Councilmember Dow Constantine. "This legislation responds to this larger trend, while maintaining opportunities for in-person voting."

Nearly 60 percent of the registered voters in King County are permanent absentee voters, and 81 percent of voters in the 2005 primary used a mail ballot.