PORT ANGELES — Election Day voting trends for contested Clallam County offices were unchanged Thursday in the latest count of ballots.
The Auditor’s Office elections division today counted 3,953 ballots that were received Election Day.
The office has 5,640 more ballots that were received Wednesday and today that will be counted Monday, Elections Supervisor Shoona Riggs said.
Voter turnout is now at 47.3 percent, or 22,191 voters, out of 46,915 registered voters.
In the two closest races, Clallam County prosecuting attorney candidate Mark Nichols remained ahead of appointed incumbent and fellow Republican William Payne, while District 3 county commissioner candidate Bill Peach, a Republican, remained ahead of Democrat Sissi Bruch.
Peach, 59, of Forks had 10,666 votes, or 51 percent, compared with 10,125, or 49 percent, for Bruch, 54, a Port Angeles city councilwoman.
Nichols, 42, of Port Angeles had 9,540 votes, or 52 percent, compared with 8,752, or 48 percent, for Payne, 57, of Sequim.
In other races that were unchanged, Riggs was ahead of Kim Yacklin for county auditor, Mary Ellen Winborn was ahead of incumbent Sheila Roark Miller for community development director, and incumbent District Court 1 Judge Rick Porter was ahead of Cathy Marshall.
In other races, incumbent 24th District state Rep. Steven Tharinger of Sequim remained ahead of Thomas Greisamer of Moclips, while 6th District U.S. Rep Derek Kilmer of Gig Harbor remained ahead of Marty McClendon, also of Gig Harbor.
Those ahead for 15 seats on the county Charter Review Commission also remained in the lead.
The 15 people elected to the Charter Review Commission were unchanged after the second ballot count.
They are:
District 1 — Nola E. Judd, Ken Hays, Ted Miller, Ronald Bell and Sue W. Forde.
District 2 — Norma E. Turner, Maggie Roth, Steven D. Burke, Selinda Barkhuis and Glenn Wiggins.
District 3 — Connie Beauvais, Barbara Christensen, Rod Fleck, Cheryl Williams and Howard “Mike” Doherty.
Proposition 1, a Clallam County Fire District 2 tax levy “lid lift,” also remained well ahead with 1,697 votes, or 61 percent approval, and 1,083 votes, or 39 percent, opposed.
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Senior Staff Writer Paul Gottlieb can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5060, or at pgottlieb@peninsuladailynews.com.
