For 11 elected positions up for grabs Nov. 8, a filing period was held all last week and nobody came.
So Clallam and Jefferson counties will offer an extended, special filing period from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday through Friday at their respective courthouses in Port Angeles at 223 E. Fourth St. and Port Townsend at 1820 Jefferson St.
Unclaimed positions in Clallam County — five of the six vacancies are in the West End — are Forks City Council Position 1, single seats on the Quillayute Prairie Fire District 6 commission and Black Diamond Water District commission and three of five positions on the Quillayute Valley Park and Recreation District.
Clallam County Auditor Patty Rosand said it’s not unusual in an odd-numbered election year — when most positions up for election are more local than statewide and national — to have several positions ignored.
“People forget to file or maybe are out of town,” Rosand said.
The five unclaimed positions in Jefferson County are in Gardiner Fire District No. 5, Queets Fire District No. 7, Brinnon Cemetery District No. 1, Quilcene Cemetery District No. 2 and Gardiner Cemetery District No. 3.
“This is not unusual, so there is a special three-day filing period,” Jefferson County Auditor Donna Eldridge said.
The ignored positions in Clallam and Jefferson counties were among the 98 positions — 50 in Clallam, 48 in Jefferson — on the ballot Nov. 8.
All other positions have at least one candidate running.
For those with three or more running, an Aug. 16 primary will determine the top two vote-getting candidates who will run in the general election.
The list of openings for Clallam County is at http://tinyurl.com/250mebk.
The list of openings for Jefferson County is at http://tinyurl.com/3c29t7k.
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Senior Staff Writer Paul Gottlieb can be reached at 360-417-3536 or at paul.gottlieb@peninsuladailynews.com.
