PORT ANGELES — A rush of weekend ballots boosted Clallam County’s turnout in nine races to an estimated 25 percent of eligible voters in the primary election that concludes tonight.
Clallam County Auditor Shoona Riggs said about 1,600 ballots were received Monday that will be processed today — a majority of them dropped in boxes at up to seven locations from Neah Bay to Sequim.
That puts the total of ballots received to about 13,500 of 54,413 mailed to voters July 14 from Blyn to Beaver that, to be valid, must be postmarked by today or delivered to the courthouse or a dropbox by 8 p.m. today.
Riggs said about 52 percent of voters use drop boxes even though their mail-in ballots include a stamped return envelope.
“Our county tends to use drop boxes more often than the mail,” she said.
Drop boxes are in operation in Neah Bay and Sekiu even though ballot addresses don’t extend that far in the primary to accommodate voters who don’t work close to home.
Drop boxes are in Sequim in the parking lot near the closed JCPenney at 651 W. Washington St.; in Carlsborg near Sunny Farms Country Store and next to Mill Road at 261461 U.S. Highway 101; and in Port Angeles outside the county courthouse and inside the auditor’s office, 223 E. Fourth St.
They are in Sekiu at the Clallam Public Utility District parking lot in the drive-up lane, 15 Sekiu Airport Road; in Clallam Bay in from of the public library at 16990 state Highway 112; and in Neah Bay in front of Washburn’s General Store, 1450 Bayview Ave.
Voters are casting their choices in four Port Angeles City Council races that pit incumbents against challengers.
Appointed incumbent LaTrisha Suggs, Adam Garcia and John DeBoer are running for Position 1; incumbent Mike French, John Madden and Samantha Rohdal for Position 2; incumbent Lindsey Schromen-Wawrin, Jason Thompson and Jena Stamper, Position 3; and incumbent Kate Dexter, John Procter and Jon Bruce for Position 4. Bruce dropped out of the race.
No other races feature incumbents.
More than 52,000 voters can cast ballots in the Clallam County Hospital District 2-Olympic Medical Center commissioner race for the at-large seat being sought by Steve Blackham, Heather Jeffers and Karen Rogers.
Vying for Port Angeles School Board Position 2 are Mary Hebert, Jean Stratton, Jesse Charles and Gabi Johnson. Sequim School Board Position 4 candidates are Derek Huntington, Virginia R. Sheppard and Rachel Tax. Kristi Schmeck has dropped out of the race.
Forks City Council Position 2 candidates are Clinton Wood, Barbara Neihouse and Josef Echeita.
Jeff Nicholas, Duane Chamlee and Sean Ryan are running for a Position 1, Sequim-area county Fire District 3 seat.
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Senior Staff Writer Paul Gottlieb can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 55650, or at pgottlieb@peninsuladailynews.com.
