Next election in Clallam County won’t be with punchcard ballots

Too bad. So sad. ‘Bye, Chad.

That includes your buddies: Removed Chad, Hanging Chad, Pregnant Chad and Swinging Chad.

The next time Clallam County voters cast ballots, most of them will do so by blacking out a “bubble” on a sheet of paper, not punching out a tiny perforated “chad” on a computer card.

Some voters will vote by touching the computer screen of a so-called DRE, for direct recording equipment.

Clallam County commissioners Tuesday authorized Auditor Cathleen McKeown to spend $181,632 for two new optical scanners for the paper ballots and three DREs.

The entire cost, plus $22,213 for enhancing the auditor’s Internet Web site and other improvements, will be paid with federal funds through the state.

The scanners will be ready to use in Feb. 8 levy elections in the Port Angeles and Quillayute Valley school districts.

8½-by-11 sheets

Ballots for those elections will be 8½-inch by 11-inch sheets of paper. Voters will make their selections by filling in a circular or oval “bubble” using a blue or black pen.

Voters will receive their ballots by mail about 20 days before the election, as they have in past elections. They must return them by mail or in person to the Auditor’s Office or a dropoff point in Forks in the case of the Quillayute election.