Get your ballot in as soon as possible, elections officials advise

Friday, October 31, 2008 11:33 PM PDT

More than half of Cowlitz County’s registered voters had returned Nov. 4 general election ballots by Friday, meaning that elections officials likely will be hit by a crush of ballots early next week.

As of Friday afternoon, 28,316 ballots had been returned to the Cowlitz County Elections office. That’s 52 percent of the 54,747 ballots mailed to all registered voters Oct. 17.

County Auditor Kris Swanson has predicted an 82.5 percent turnout for the election, in line with Secretary of State Sam Reed’s forecast for an 83 percent statewide turnout.

“Our heaviest returns will be Monday and Tuesday. With 52 percent already in, I think we’re on track to hit 80 percent,” County Elections Supervisor Carolyn Myers said Friday.

Local turnout is ahead of the statewide turnout. As of Friday, about 43 percent of registered Washington voters had returned ballots.

The average statewide turnout since 1936 is78.85 percent, and the record is 84.5 percent in 1944, according to the Secretary of State’s office.

Besides casting votes in the presidential and gubernatorial races, Washington voters will decide a host of initiatives and county races.

In Oregon, voters have to settle a hot race for U.S. Senate between incumbent Republican Gordon Smith and Democratic challenger Jeff Merkley, and Columbia County voters will decide local races and a ballot measure that would penalize businesses that knowingly hire illegal aliens.

Swanson Friday encouraged Cowlitz voters to submit ballots as soon as possible “to avoid the last-minute rush.”

In Washington, ballots must be postmarked by Tuesday’s date — Nov. 4 — to count. By contrast, in Oregon ballots must reach elections offices by Tuesday to be valid. A postmark does not count in the Beaver State.

Any Oregon voter who has not mailed a ballot by Saturday should return ballots in one of the drop boxes around Columbia County, as there is no assurance mail delivery will get their vote to elections officials by Tuesday’s deadline.

Here are the ballot drop box locations in Cowlitz and Columbia counties:

Cowlitz County

• Longview Civic Center Circle, near the Post Office boxes

• Broadway, driving west toward the Civic Circle

• Kelso, near the Post Office boxes

• Woodland, on Davidson and Second Street in the city parking lot near the Utility Payment Drop box

• Castle Rock, Cowlitz Street and First Avenue SW near Hattie’s

• Kalama, near the Post Office boxes.

In addition to mailing ballots, Cowlitz voters can also bring ballots to the Elections Department located in the County Administration Building, 207 North Fourth Avenue, Room 107, in Kelso.

Columbia County

Ballots may be dropped off by 8 p.m. Tuesday at drop box locations throughout the county.

• Rainier City Hall , 06 B St. West

• Clatskanie Library, 11 Lillich St.

• Scappoose City Hall, 33568 E. Columbia Ave.

• Vernonia Library, 701 Weed Ave.

• Mist-Birkenfeld Rural Fire District, 12525 Highway 202

• Columbia County Courthouse, box located in lower parking lot

Find more election coverage, including polls, photo galleries and links to discussion boards, at our ELECTIONS 2008 section.