PORT TOWNSEND – The Jefferson County Auditor’s Office will count an additional 2,501 ballots today that could change outcomes in some local races.

With the 1,529 ballots received in the mail Wednesday and the 972 ballots that were in hand but not counted Tuesday night, the voter turnout totaled 61.49 percent of the 20,928 ballots sent out to Jefferson County voters as of Wednesday.

Auditor Donna Eldridge said the 972 ballots dropped off on election day is an unheard of amount.

“Never before have we had that many dropped off the day of the election,” Eldridge said.

“I think the media got the vote out this year,” referring to stories published in the Peninsula Daily News and The Leader weekly newspaper about low voter turnout.

Seventy-nine ballots are being challenged because of no signature or a questionable signature.

Voters with challenged ballots will be contacted by the Auditor’s Office and will have until Nov. 26 to remedy the issues.

The election will be certified on Nov. 27.