PORT ANGELES — As of Thursday some voters in Clallam County have not received ballots in the mail for Tuesday’s general election, the Auditor’s Office said.
“While nearly all voters in Clallam County have received their ballots, a small number have reported that they are still waiting for their ballots to arrive,” said Betty Pettigrew, elections manager, in a news release issued Thursday.
She said that the elections office has communicated with postal officials in Seattle and Tacoma and that the U.S. Postal Service “has helped research every pallet of ballots that were included in the mail drop, and has not found that any trays of ballots are missing.”
Pettigrew said that Clallam County Elections Office and the postal service continue to seek a reason for the delay.
In the meantime, Pettigrew urged voters who have not received ballots, or who have lost them, to obtain replacements by picking them up at the Auditor’s Office at Suite 1 in the Clallam County Courthouse at 223 E. Fourth St., between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. today and Monday or between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Election Day on Tuesday. Ballots also are available online at myvote.wa.gov, she said.
“It’s getting closer to Election Day, and we want to make certain voters have received their ballots and are able to vote,” said Clallam County Auditor Shoona Riggs in the release.
As of Wednesday, 33.45 percent of the county’s 52,519 registered voters — or some 17,567 — had returned them, Pettigrew said.
Statistics were not available for Thursday. No one could be reached for more comment on the statistics or the missing ballots at the Clallam County Auditor’s Office on Thursday.
Neighboring Jefferson County had 12,423 ballots, or 49.26 percent of 25,220, returned as of Thursday, said Sandi Eldridge, voter registrar.
Ballots are due in a drop box or must be postmarked by 8 p.m. Tuesday.
Clallam County drop boxes are at:
• Clallam County Courthouse, 223 E. Fourth St., Port Angeles. Drive-up drop boxes are provided on the circular drive and directly across from disabled parking area.
• Clallam County Auditor’s Office in the county courthouse, Suite 1, open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday.
• Sequim Village Shopping Center, near the J.C. Penney store, 651 W. Washington St.
• Sunny Farms Country Store in Carlsborg, 261461 U.S. Highway 101.
• Forks City Hall, outside near the entrance, 500 E. Division St.
• Clallam Bay Library, 16990 state Highway 112.
• Washburn General Store, 1450 Bayview Ave., Neah Bay.
• Clallam County Public Utility District’s Clallam Bay/Sekiu office, 15 Sekiu Airport Road.
For more information, contact the Auditor’s Office at 360-417-2221 or elections@co.clallam.wa.us.