Parkland Community Trail and Elections Update - jhitchen
September 24, 2026
Good morning, neighbors.
It is officially fall and it is beginning to feel like it. Fall means another General Election is upon us. Several people have reached out to ask about the upcoming election; I even got to chat with young voters at the Rock the Vote event at Pacific Lutheran University.
There is a lot of disinformation and misinformation out there. I reached out to the elections team with the Auditors office and want to share some updates. There has been some confusion created by the Federal proposed policies.
If you are feeling anxious or maybe confused about the 2026 General Election, you are not alone.
Election Update
THEY ARE HAPPENING: While the President signed an Executive order saying mail-in ballots are not allowed, in this country we have left the process for voting up to the states (per the Constitution). This was challenged in the courts and has been confirmed. While there could be future challenges, for now, we are moving ahead as a country in the normal fashion. Ballots will be mailed, ballot boxes will be open, and we will have in-person voting options in 3 locations if that feels better for you.
BALLOTS COMING OUT EARLY: Because of the legal challenges that the state was potentially facing, it was determined to give the election process a little bit more time. Ballots are being mailed on October 13th. And the election process opens that day until November 3rd at 8:00 p.m.
USE A DROP BOX: While you can still mail your ballot, everyone from our elections team, the Secretary of State, League of Women Voters, and other organizations that support candidates or track elections are saying the same thing – use a drop box. Don’t know where one is, you can find one convenient to you by using this link: Use a drop box.
TRACKING YOUR BALLOTS: The state has provided a quick and easy way to make sure your ballot is counted. If you register for an account, you can get a text when your ballot is received, and when it is validated (meaning they have matched your signature, and it will be counted). You can check your signature, update your contact information and much more.
VOTING IN PERSON: For some, you might have lost your ballot, or maybe you made a mistake, or your toddler got ahold of it and turned it into an art project. No matter what, our elections team realized that we needed more face-to-face, in-person support and that the elections center in Tacoma wasn’t quite big enough to handle the number of people seeking help. All three locations will be open on October 31, and November 2 and 3. The have opened two additional centers for in-person support:
Sprinker Recreation Center in the Rainier Room
Pierce College Puyallup in the Arts and Allied Health Building
Pierce County Elections Center
After election day has come and gone, you can still check in on the process, watch ballots being counted, and assure yourself that in Pierce County every ballot is counted that is supposed to be counted. I have served on the Canvassing Board several times as Chair of the Council, and part of our duty is to review any challenged ballots, discuss a legal matter, like if fraud is detected, and certify the results. This is done in an open public meeting.
There are around 600,000 registered voters in Pierce County. If you are one of them, please review these items and make a plan. If you want to get ahead and learn more, the virtual pamphlet is out already: General-2026-Voter Pamphlet
I hope if you read this you will do your part as a registered voter. And if you are not, but could legally vote, there is still time to register to vote; online until October 26th and in person until the end of Election Day. Don’t wait that long though!
Parkland With Purpose
For decades, Parkland has not had a dedicated, paved trail anywhere inside the community that was specifically designed to move people from one part of the map to another. That officially ended today, resulting in thousands of people having a safe, non motorized options to get to Sprinker Recreation Center and all the indoor and outdoor amenities it provides.
A paved trail connecting the Parkland Parie on Tule Lake Road, to Bresemann Forest (Sprinker Recreation Center) opened on Saturday in a Ribbon cutting event. This trail is large enough for walkers, rollers, strollers, even our four-legged friends to share the path and get from one point to another.
The second phase, that we hope to complete by the end of 2028, will connect Washington High School, Keithley Middle School and PLU to this trail system.
If you haven’t driven through Parkland in a while, with the addition of the Blue Zones Project, and the work of the county with Vision Zero, there has been significant investments to help people move in this community a little easier and safer.
Community Connections
District 6 Library Events: Pierce County Library events and classes at the Anderson Island, DuPont, Lakewood, Parkland/Spanaway, Steilacoom, Tillicum, and Virtual libraries.
Fiesta de la Familia: Saturday, September 26 from 12 to 6 p.m. at Fort Steilacoom Park. This family-friendly event includes food, dancing people and horses, a car show, vendors, crafts and roaming entertainment. Stop by to learn about the amazing culture during Hispanic and Latino Heritage month.
Steilacoom Apple Squeeze: Sunday, October 4 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in downtown Steilacoom. Try your hand at squeezing apples along with vendors, food trucks and some learning about apples and the town’s history. Enjoy live music and so much more.
DuPont Fall Farmers Market: Sunday, October 4 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Clocktower Park. Shop fresh produce and local vendors, enjoy food trucks and fall crafts, and bring the kids for trick-or-treating at participating booths.
Blue Zones Events: Activities for the next few months. From exercise, healthy cooking, and mindfulness to volunteering to give back to our community; there is something for everyone.
My last newsletter focused on Suicide Prevention, and on the afternoon of Friday, September 18, we held the first annual Suicide Prevention Summit. I want to give a huge shout-out to Councilmembers Herrera (District 2) and Denson (District 7), their staff, our Council Staff, Executive Mello and his team and our Pierce County Human Services and Parks and Recreation Departments.
That's a long sentence, but this took a lot of people. The 7-hour event took months to plan and hundreds of hours to organize, and it was a powerful opportunity to learn, grieve, and put action behind the goal of ending suicides.
If you or a loved one is struggling, call or text 9-8-8. There is hope and you are not alone.
Jani