PORT TOWNSEND — More than 30 percent of Jefferson County voters had returned their ballots by Tuesday to the county Auditor’s Office for the all-mail Nov. 5 general election.

The Jefferson County Auditor’s Office had received 6,938 ballots, or 30.5 percent, of the 22,765 ballots mailed to registered voters Oct. 16.

The Clallam Auditor’s Office had received 11,615 ballots, or 24.9 percent, of the 46,665 ballots mailed.

Port Townsend

Of the ballots received so far, 2,231 were from registered voters within the Port Townsend city limit. That is 31.4 percent of the 7,109 Port Townsend voters who were mailed ballots.

In county commissioner District 1, which includes Port Townsend and the adjacent area, 2,380 of 7,748, or 30.7 percent, of ballots have been returned to the Auditor’s Office.

In District 2 — which covers Cape George, Kala Point, Nordland, Chimacum, Port Hadlock, Irondale and Four Corners — 30.4 percent, or 2,243 of 7,371, of ballots have been returned.

In District 3, which covers southeast Jefferson County and the communities of Kalaloch and Queets on the Pacific coast, 2,315 of 7,646 ballots, or 30.3 percent, have been returned.

Jefferson County voters will decide on a number of local elected positions. They also will vote on Proposition 1, which would begin the process of writing a county charter, and elect 15 freeholders who will have until June 20, 2015, to draw up the charter if Proposition 1 passes.

They also will vote on statewide Initiative 522, dealing with food labeling, and Initiative 517, which concerns initiative and referendum measures, as well as five nonbinding advisory votes to gauge voter opinion on tax legislation already passed by the state Legislature.

Advisory votes will have no effect on the legislation.

Due Nov. 5

Mailed returned ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 5. Ballots also can be hand-delivered to the Auditor’s Office at the Jefferson County Courthouse at 1820 Jefferson St., Port Townsend, or placed in ballot drop boxes no later than 8 p.m. that day.

Drop boxes are in the back parking lot at the courthouse and at the Jefferson County Library at 620 Cedar Ave., in Port Hadlock.

Anyone who has not received a primary election ballot in Jefferson should phone the Auditor’s Office at 360-385-9119 or email karenc@co.jefferson.wa.us.

Free copies of the Peninsula Daily News’ 2013 Jefferson County General Election Voter Guide are available at the county courthouse and other public places, as well as peninsuladailynews.com.

The guides also were included in the Oct. 18-19 edition of the PDN.

________

Reporter Jeremy Schwartz can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5074, or at jschwartz@peninsuladailynews.com.