PORT ANGELES — Today is the final day of all-mail primary election voting in East Clallam County.
For ballots to be valid, they must carry a postmark of no later than today or must be received by the Auditor’s Office or placed in a drop box by 8 p.m.
Drop boxes are located at Sequim City Hall, 152 W. Cedar St., the Sequim Vehicle-Vessel Licensing Office,1001 E. Washington St. and at the Clallam County Courthouse at 223 E. Fourth St., Port Angeles.
Ballot totals crept upward Monday.
Of 19,093 ballots issued, 7,246 were received, or 37.9 percent, Clallam County Auditor Patty Rosand said.
Voting is limited to County Commissioner District No. 1, the boundaries of which are from McDonald Creek to the eastern county line.
They include city of Sequim voters who are deciding between incumbent Laura Dubois and challengers Ron Fairclough and John Miller.
Two will advance to the Nov. 8 general election.
There are 4,106 voters in the city of Sequim.
As of Monday, 1,467 ballots were returned, or 35.73 percent, from voters inside the city limit.
The county commissioner seat is held by three-term Democratic incumbent and current 24th District state legislator Steve Tharinger, who is not running for re-election.
Democrat Linda Barnfather and Republican Jim McEntire will automatically advance to the Nov. 8 general election, though in accordance with state law, both of their names appear on the primary ballot.
Despite the “beauty-contest” nature of their primary face-off, McEntire and Barnfather said they will analyze the results as an early indication of voter sentiment for the general election, which will be countywide.
“I’m feeling fairly comfortable,” said McEntire, a retired Coast Guard captain and current Port of Port Angeles commissioner.
“We’ve had a vigorous campaign effort to this point, and that will continue. I’m very optimistic.”
McEntire said he has confined his campaigning, which consists mostly of going house to house, to commissioner District 1, which has 42 percent of the county’s 45,944 voters.
McEntire and Barnfather said they’ve been encouraged by voter reactions as they canvass the Sequim area.
“I’m very positive and very optimistic about the way things are going,” she said.
“I really look forward to continuing the conversation with voters on why I would be the best commissioner,” she said, adding she looks forward to “moving the campaign west.”
Ballot drop boxes will be open until 8 p.m. today.
Any voter needing a replacement ballot or assistance should contact the Auditor’s Office which will be open for extended hours from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. today.
The first election results will be posted at www.peninsuladailynews shortly after 8 p.m.
Meantime, the Peninsula Daily News’ Primary Election Voter Guide, issued in print shortly after ballots were mailed July 22, can be found on the home page at this website.
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Senior Staff Writer Paul Gottlieb can be reached at 360-417-3536 or at paul.gottlieb@peninsuladailynews.com.
