Jefferson ballot return: 26 percent

Nearly 26 percent of ballots in the all-mail Sept. 20 primary election have been returned to the Jefferson County Auditor’s Office.

That amounts to 4,655 ballots returned since more than 17,000 were mailed out Aug. 31.

Ballots must be postmarked or physically returned to the auditor’s office in the county courthouse in Port Townsend by 8 p.m. Election Day, said Betty Johnson, auditor’s office elections specialist.

Johnson said of the ballots received so far, 88 are either questionable for non-matching signatures or are missing signatures altogether. The office is required to contact those voters for verification and this must be resolved on or before Sept. 29, she said.