61 percent of Plumas County ballots are in and waiting to be counted
With just one week to go before Election Day, Nov. 3, 61 percent of Plumas County registered voters have returned their ballot.
“We are still first in the state, with Marin County in second,” said Kathy Williams, the county’s chief elections official, Oct. 27.
Williams continues to encourage voters to return their ballot as soon as possible so that they will be received by her office and available to be counted on Nov. 3. She is hopeful that a lot of people won’t wait until Election Day to bring in or mail their ballots.
Ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 3 to be counted, but those who wait until that day to mail their ballots, should know that they won’t be part of the Election Day count. Those ballots will be counted at a later date, jeopardizing the ability to know immediately who wins various races. While the national top-of-the ticket races, such as the presidency, may take days or weeks for the final results, local races such as those of District 1 and District 2 supervisor, could be known on election night if ballots are returned in a timely manner.
Williams also reminds people that they must sign their ballot envelope. The lack of signature causes the elections office to send out a follow-up document to be signed, which costs time and money.
Each ballot is $5.25 when the cost of printing, staff time and postage are totaled. The ballot envelope is prepaid postage so there is no need to put stamps on the envelope. Those who do so thinking that they are helping reimburse the county for election costs would be mistaken. “They are just wasting a stamp,” Williams said, since the county is not reimbursed.
