OLYMPIA – A penny for your thoughts, but 41 cents for your vote?
A Thurston County man has triumphed in his contention that he needn’t put postage on his mail-in ballot.
It’s not that he won his legal argument. An exasperated state elections staff member sent 86-year-old Walter DeMucha a stamp.
On the North Olympic Peninsula, county auditors say unstamped ballots are rare – but that they pay the postage due on the ballots.
“We wind up getting dinged for the 41 cents,” said Clallam County Auditor Patty Rosand.
“When we get them back as undeliverable, we have to pay. It’s another expense to the taxpayers.”
Most voters follow the law that says they must pay the postage on their ballots if they don’t use drop boxes in Forks, Port Angeles, Sequim and Port Townsend.
“The voters are either expected to drop them in a drop box or to pay that expense,” said state Elections Director Nick Handy in the office of Secretary of State Sam Reed.
