The general election voting season has arrived.
Ballots for the Nov. 8 election should begin reaching voters by today after they were mailed Wednesday.
Jefferson County Auditor Donna Eldridge said that ballots were mailed to 21,347 voters countywide on Wednesday.
Two staffers filled a county Information Services van about two-thirds full with ballots before driving them five blocks to the post office, she said.
“We pack them very carefully because we don’t want them tipping, and we drive them very carefully to the post office,” Eldridge said.
All ballots should be delivered to voters’ mailboxes by Monday, she added.
If no ballot
Anyone who does not receive a ballot by Monday should call the Auditor’s Office at 360-385-9119 or email karenc@co.jefferson.wa.us.
Now voters have until Election Day, Nov. 8, to cast their ballots in 10 contested 36 non-contested races from seats on the Port Townsend City Council to the Quilcene School Board to the Coyle Water District, depending on where voters live.
There are no contested countywide races.
But all county voters will receive a ballot with at least two proposed amendments to the state Constitution that were generated by the state Legislature and three statewide initiatives.
In addition, city of Port Townsend voters will decide on Proposition 1.
The fire and emergency services levy-lid lift would increase the 2012 levy rate to $2.4868 per $1,000 of valuation, a hike of 43 cents.
The increase would expire if the city annexes into East Jefferson Fire-Rescue.
Included in Friday’s edition of the Peninsula Daily News will be the North Olympic Peninsula Voter Guide, which contains profiles of candidates in contested races, descriptions of the positions that are up for grabs and the candidates’ answers to extensive election questionnaires.
Election’s cost
The election’s cost is estimated at $44,500, based on an estimated cost of about $2 per voter, Eldridge said.
The state of Washington and county taxing districts pay their pro-rated share of election costs according to the number of voters in the district and the number of items on the ballot.
Districts pay whether a race is contested or not because ballots still must include non-contested, single-candidate races.
The number of candidates in contested races is not out of the ordinary, Eldridge said.
“There is nothing at all unusual about this election compared to any other odd-year election,” she said.
Results online
The courthouse will be open until about 8 p.m., when the ballots will be counted, though results will also be online at cmg-northwest2.go-vip.net/peninsuladailynews.
Ballots should begin reaching voters by Thursday, and all ballots should be delivered to voters’ mailboxes by Monday.
Contested races include two seats on the Port Townsend City Council, two on the Quilcene School Board, one on the Sequim School Board, two on the Quilcene Fire District and three for the Coyle Water District board.
Voters have until 8 p.m. Nov. 8 to get their ballots postmarked or dropped off at the Jefferson County Auditor’s Office at the county courthouse at 1820 Jefferson St., Port Townsend; at a drop box at the county courthouse; or at the Jefferson County Library, 620 Cedar Ave., Port Hadlock.
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Senior Staff Writer Paul Gottlieb can be reached at 360-417-3536 or at paul.gottlieb@peninsuladailynews.com.