News Release from Shoona Riggs, Clallam County Auditor
July 23, 2019
Primary ballots for the Clallam County Commissioner District No. 1 race were inadvertently sent to voters without information relating to the candidates’ party preferences.
On Wednesday, July 24, 2019, a notice will be mailed to all voters in Clallam County Commissioner District No. 1. This notice provides the party preference information as it should have been stated on the ballot. A copy of the notice has been sent with this press release.
Prior to sending the notice, Clallam County Auditor Shoona Riggs and staff met with the impacted candidates and representatives of the Republican and Democratic Parties. At the meeting, all present discussed why updated ballots could not be sent out after ballot processing has begun at the Auditor’s Office. Pursuant to RCW 29A.40.070 and WAC 434-250-080, no additional ballot may be issued to a voter whose ballot has already been accepted. It was agreed that sending a notice to voters was the best course of action to address this unfortunate error.
It should be noted that while party preference information was missing, every voter in the Clallam County Commissioner District No. 1 was sent a ballot that included both candidates for commissioner. Party preference information will be included on the General Election ballot.
Creating and proofing ballots is a complex and multifaceted process. The statewide voter registration system, VRDB, and election management system, WEI, which were used by Washington State were migrated to a new comprehensive system called VoteWA in June 2019. Due to this change, the Clallam County election tabulation system had to be reprogrammed after initial ballot proofing had taken place.
While the initial ballot had the party preference information included on the proofs, the information was lost during the reprogramming stage. The loss of this information was not caught during the final proofing of the ballot.
The Auditor regrets this failure to fully proof the ballot and sincerely apologizes. To guard against similar oversights in the future, the Election Division will have a team meeting to revise election practices and update policies and procedures. Additionally, and in advance of the next ballot proofing process, the Clallam County Auditor will meet with the Election Division and review the step-by-step process. The Election staff will continue to attend the annual Election Conference and other trainings offered by the Office of the Secretary of State Elections Division.
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Office Information
The Clallam County Auditor’s Office employs 14 people. Clallam County, which includes Forks, Port Angeles, and Sequim, has an approximate population of 75,000.
The Vehicle/Vessel Licensing Division is comprised of four (4) employees, and issues titles, registrations, and state licenses for automobiles, trucks, trailers, boats and other motor vehicles.
The Election Division is comprised of three (3) employees, and conducts federal, state, and local elections and manages voter registration for the citizens of Clallam County.
The Financial Services Division is comprised of three (3) employees, and it provides timely and accurate fiscal and debt information, evaluates financial alternatives, and provides financial support functions to the county organization to help it meet public service goals.
The Recording Division is comprised of two (2) employees, and it accepts and records into public record all real property documents and deeds, accepts passport applications, issues marriage licenses for weddings to be performed in the State of Washington, and provides a means for the public to view the records.
For more information call:
Ms. Shoona Riggs
Clallam County Auditor
(360) 417-2222
