General elections ballots are due Tuesday, either postmarked by that day or dropped into a ballot box by 8 p.m. Initial results will be posted online by the Auditor’s Offices and the Peninsula Daily News soon after.
Jefferson County has two local contested positions on the ballot: Jefferson County Commissioner District 3 and Jefferson County Sheriff.
In addition, the ballot has contests for State Legislative District 24’s Positions 1 and 2, U.S. Senate, Congressional District 6 and Secretary of State.
Voters also are asked to weigh in on two advisory measures and vote on several unopposed positions.
Ballots were provided to Jefferson’s 27,525 registered voters beginning Oct. 19. As of Friday, 51 percent of the ballots had been returned.
Neighboring Clallam County had 44.30 percent of its 57,203 ballots returned as of Friday.
The Jefferson County Auditor’s Office in the county courthouse, 1820 Jefferson St., Port Townsend, is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. today and until 8 p.m. Tuesday. Disabled-voter voting terminals are available.
Ballot drop boxes
Ballots can be returned by mail. Postage is already paid. But it’s necessary to make sure the ballots will be postmarked by Tuesday or they won’t be counted.
Those who prefer to take their ballots to drop boxes can choose from these locations:
• Port Townsend: Two outside the county courthouse, a drive-up box in the back parking lot and a walk-up box in front of the courthouse steps. Ballots also can be dropped off in a ballot box in the Auditor’s Office.
• Port Hadlock: Jefferson County Library, 620 Cedar Ave., outside front entrance.
• Port Ludlow: Olympic Peninsula Gateway Visitor Center, 93 Beaver Valley Road, in front of the visitor center building.
• Nordland: Nordland Fire Station, 6633 Flagler Road, outside front entrance.
• Quilcene: Quilcene Community Center, 294952 U.S. Highway 101, outside front entrance.
• Brinnon: Brinnon Community Center, 306144 U.S. Highway 101, outside front entrance.
• Hoh Indian Nation, in front of the Tribal Police Center, 2261 Lower Hoh Road.
• Quinault Indian Nation, in front of the Queets Tribal Office on Queets Avenue.
Those not yet registered to vote can do so in person at the auditor’s office until the polls close at 8 p.m. Tuesday.
Votes will be counted every day until all have been tabulated.
The Peninsula Daily News will report the results online Tuesday night; they won’t be in Wednesday’s newspaper due to deadline requirements for having the newspaper printed and prepared for delivery by the U.S. Post Office. On Thursday, the PDN will provide stories on candidates’ reactions to the results so far.
Contests — positions sought by more than one person — on the Jefferson County ballot are:
• U.S. Senator: Incumbent Patty Murray, D-Seattle; Tiffany Smiley, R-Spokane.
• 6th Congressional District: Incumbent Derek Kilmer, D-Gig Harbor; Elizabeth Kreselmaier, R-Gig Harbor.
• Secretary of State: Appointee Steve Hobbs, Democrat; Julie Anderson, Nonpartisan.
• State Legislative District 24
— Position 1: Incumbent Rep. Steve Tharinger, D-Port Townsend; Brian Pruiett, R-Carlsborg.
— Position 2: Incumbent Rep. Mike Chapman, D-Port Angeles; Sue Forde, R-Sequim.
• Jefferson County Commissioner District 3: Incumbent Greg Brotherton, D-Quilcene; Marcia Kelbon, R-Quilcene.
• Jefferson County Sheriff: Incumbent Joe Nole, Democrat; Art Frank, Democrat.
Voters in the Port Ludlow Fire & Rescue District also are asked to approve or reject a proposal to merge the Ludlow district with East Jefferson Fire Rescue.
All voters also are asked to weigh-in on their desire to repeal or maintain:
• Advisory Vote No. 39 — The Legislature increased without a vote of the people the tax on aircraft fuel from 11 cents to 18 cents per gallon, costing $14 million in its first 10 years, for government spending.
• Advisory Vote No. 40 — The Legislature imposed, without a vote of the people, premiums on “transportation network companies” to provide workers compensation to their drivers, costing an indeterminate amount in its first 10 years for government spending.
Results of the general election will be certified Nov. 29.
To contact the Jefferson County Auditor’s Office, call 360-385-9117 or 360-385-9119; email elections@co.jefferson.wa.us; go to co.jefferson.wa.us/1266/Elections.
