Presidential primary election balloting ends in the state today with Jefferson County generating turnouts among the highest in the state.
Ballots mailed to voters in Clallam and Jefferson counties must be postmarked today or deposited by 8 p.m. today in voter drop boxes or returned to county courthouses in both counties.
Results will be announced by Auditor’s Offices in both counties shortly after 8 p.m. today and posted online at www.peninsuladailynews.com.
As of Monday, 10,301 Jefferson County voters through Saturday had returned or mailed back their ballots, voter registration coordinator Sandi Eldridge said.
That’s out of 23,868 mailed for a 43.2 percent return rate that sits at or near the top of return rates for the state’s 39 counties.
Jefferson County had the highest return rate in Washington as of Thursday with 9,606 ballots returned, a 40.3 percent return rate, next to tiny Columbia County, with 979 ballots returned out of 2,611 mailed, or 37.5 percent.
“We always have very active, very high voter participation,” Jefferson County Elections Supervisor Betty Johnson said Monday.
Johnson said Jefferson County is usually near the top for participation, but not No. 1.
Clallam returns
Clallam’s return rate for 49,941 ballots mailed was 16,789 through Saturday, a
34.3 percent return rate and the 19th highest turnout among 39 counties as of Thursday.
County-by-county totals for ballots received statewide from Friday and Monday were not available late Monday afternoon.
The Republican Party uses the results to allocate 100 percent of its convention delegates.
The Democratic Party does not use the results to allocate any delegates, instead relying on March 26 caucus results.
Democratic Party presidential candidate Bernie Sanders won 74 delegate in caucus voting compared to Hillary Clinton’s 27 delegates.
Presumed Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump enters the primary without opposition.
Clallam County Elections Supervisor Ken Hugoniot was surprised Jefferson was highest in the state and so much higher than Clallam’s as of Thursday.
“They always have more than Clallam,” he added.
Superdelegates
Bruce Cowan, chair of Jefferson County Democrats, said Jefferson County Democrats know their votes don’t count for delegates.
“Superdelegate votes are at stake,” said Cowan.
“The results could be informative to the superdelegates, and also it could be informative to people making decisions about whether we should use caucuses and primaries for years from now.”
The Facebook page Olympic Peninsula Committee to Elect Bernie Sanders President 2016 urged Sanders supporters to vote in the primary as a reflection of his overwhelming victory in the smaller-voter-pool March 26 caucuses.
“It can give a strong boost to our efforts to convince our SUPERDELEGATES (all elected officials as well as about 6 others) that they SHOULD follow the vote of the people who elected them. BERNIE WON ALL COUNTIES in the state!” according to the website.
$11.5 million cost
The primary is costing taxpayers statewide an estimated $11.5 million.
“We state Democrats are not in favor of having a primary election,” Cowan said.
“Since Republicans insisted on having it, we may as well participate.”
Clallam County Republican Party Chair Dick Pilling said he favors continuing with the primary system.
“It would arouse more interest and excitement if there were more contestants,” he said of the primary election.
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Senior Staff Writer Paul Gottlieb can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 55650, or at pgottlieb@peninsuladailynews.com.
