Ends your vote
Replaces the elected sheriff with an appointed one.
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Pierce County, Washington · November 2026
Keep Your Right to
Elect Your Sheriff.
Charter Amendment 53 would strip Pierce County voters of their right to elect their sheriff — and remove the sheriff you already elected, halfway through his term. Vote NO on Amendment 53.
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Washington votes by mail — don't wait for Election Day.
The Amendment
What Amendment 53 Actually Does.
Pierce County voters made the sheriff an elected office by charter amendment in 2006. Amendment 53 would reverse a decision the voters themselves made — without showing what's changed.
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Moves the decision behind closed doors
Politicians and insiders choose, not voters.
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An appointed sheriff answers to the politicians who did the hiring — and can be replaced just as quietly. In more than 3,000 counties across America, the sheriff answers to the voters instead.
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Removes your elected sheriff mid-term
Amendment 53 doesn't wait for the next election. It cuts short the four-year term Pierce County voters already decided at the ballot box.
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Voters elected Sheriff Keith Swank to a four-year term. Amendment 53 doesn't wait for the next election — it cuts that term short, overriding the ballots already cast.
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A recall without the rules
Washington law already has a legal process to remove an elected official, with real requirements and real evidence. Amendment 53 skips all of it.
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Washington law already has a recall process for removing an elected official — it requires sworn charges and review by a judge. Amendment 53 skips those safeguards entirely. No charter amendment in Washington State has ever been used this way.
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Why It Matters
Why an Elected Sheriff Matters.
The sheriff is the only law-enforcement leader who answers directly to the people.
Electing the sheriff is the norm in more than 3,000 U.S. counties.
When voters lose the ballot box, they lose their voice in public safety.
And Amendment 53 goes further than ending future elections. It would overturn the last one — removing the sitting sheriff halfway through the term voters gave him. That's a recall in everything but name, without the legal standards Washington's recall process requires. No charter amendment in Washington State has ever been used to do this. Pierce County shouldn't be the first.
“This has never been done in Washington State. Amendment 53 would overturn an election — halfway through the term you voted for.”
Latest
Latest from the Campaign.
Help Us Fight Amendment 53
Every dollar helps us reach more Pierce County voters and protect your right to elect your sheriff.
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Podcast
The Keith Swank Podcast.
Coming SoonSheriff Keith Swank is launching a podcast covering policing, politics, Amendment 53 and the fight to keep your vote.
Take Action
How to Vote NO on Amendment 53.
Find Your Ballot Drop Box — Pierce County
or mail your ballot — no stamp needed in Washington
Your ballot is the only thing standing between Amendment 53 and the removal of the sheriff you elected.
- 1Get your ballot in the mail
- 2Fill in NO on Charter Amendment 53
- 3Mail it or use any official drop box by 8 PM Election Day
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