More than half of the registered voters in Jefferson County had voted in the general election by Friday, while more than 41 percent of Clallam County voters had returned their ballots.
Of the 21,743 ballots issued in Jefferson County for Tuesday’s all-mail election, 11,109 — or 51.13 percent — had been returned, said Auditor Donna Eldridge.
Clallam County voters had returned 18,893 ballots out of 45,582 mailed, for a 41.45 percent turnout, Auditor Patty Rosand said.
Eldridge holds to her earlier projection of a final voter turnout of 80 percent, while Rosand upgraded her expectations to a 72 percent voter turnout from her earlier prediction of 70 percent.
Eldridge expects to count 62 percent of the county electorate’s ballots on Election Day — with results posted soon after 8 p.m.
The remainder will be counted at about noon the following Friday.
Rosand said she expects about 30 percent of the mailed ballots to come in on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
On Election Night, she expects the Clallam office to “get through at least what we have today,” she said Friday.
“We’ll see how many come in on Monday. We’re feeling we’re going to get a lot this weekend.”
After Tuesday’s count, remaining ballots will be counted by 4:30 p.m. Friday.
Ballots must be placed in a drop box by 8 p.m. Tuesday or postmarked by that date to be counted.
In addition to sending by mail, ballots in Clallam County also may be deposited in official drop boxes in the Auditor’s Office at the Clallam County Courthouse, 223 E. Fourth St., Port Angeles; outside the courthouse on the semicircular driveway on Fourth Street; at Sequim Vehicle/Vessel Licensing, 1001 E. Washington St., Suite 5; and in the lobby of Forks District Court, 502 E. Division St.
In Jefferson County, ballots can be returned by mail; by hand to the Auditor’s Office at the Jefferson County Courthouse, 1820 Jefferson St., Port Townsend; or in drop boxes at the county courthouse or the Jefferson County Library, 620 Cedar Ave., Port Hadlock.
Information on the election is available in the Peninsula Daily News’ separate election guides for Clallam and Jefferson counties, and in the Secretary of State’s Office election guide, all of which are available free at courthouses, city halls and public libraries.
In addition, the PDN guides are available at PDN offices in Port Angeles, Port Townsend and Sequim (addresses on Page A2), and online at peninsuladailynews.com.
To confirm if your Clallam County ballot has been received, visit www.clallam.net/elections, click on the “my vote” icon, put in your name and birth date, then click on “my ballot status.”
To confirm if your Jefferson County ballot has been received, e-mail karenc@co.jefferson.wa.us or phone 360-385-9117 or 360-385-9119.
To replace a ballot or for more information, phone 360-417-2221 in Clallam County or 360-385-9117 in Jefferson County.
