A group of civic-minded people are volunteering their time to ensure voters can get to a ballot box before Nov. 5.

Trisha Lockhart, a resident of the Freeland area, decided to launch Voter Aid – South Whidbey this week. Already, about 20 people have expressed interest in being volunteer drivers. All that’s missing are the voters who need a ride.

Lockhart acknowledged that while people can opt to walk to the end of their driveways and turn their ballot in by mail, there can sometimes be unexpected delays with the South End post offices.

There are other advantages to using a ballot box.

“Plus, it feels much more dramatic and satisfying than dropping it in the mailbox,” she said.

Lockhart previously volunteered as a ballot counter for the Island County Elections Office in 2020. Many ballots, she said, lacked the voter’s signature and date on the envelope. She hopes to help voters remember important details such as these.

“It’s just best to make sure all the I’s are dotted and T’s are crossed,” she said.

She encourages volunteers who drive someone to a ballot box to consider stopping by a grocery store on the way back. As a former driver for Island Senior Resources, Lockhart is well aware of the need out there.

“I know that a lot of people in this area are lacking transportation, and it’s a struggle for them to get to grocery stores and banks and post offices,” she said. “I thought we could combine both things at once.”

Ballots must be accompanied by their respective voters; Lockhart emphasized that Voter Aid – South Whidbey does not pick up ballots by themselves and drop them off.

With less than two weeks to go, volunteers are willing to drive as far as the Coupeville ballot boxes.

Email VoterAidSouthWhidbey@gmail.com or join the “Voter Aid – South Whidbey” Facebook group for more information.