Local News

<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Robert Frank, City Editor frank@heraldnet.com   Published: Friday, October 24, 2008 Some Island County ballots delayed The auditor traces a delivery problem to the U.S. Postal Service processing center in Everett. By Gale Fiege Herald Writer CAMANO ISLAND -- Jennifer Caceres knew something was up when only four election ballots arrived by mail last Saturday. The thing is, there are five registered voters in her household on Camano Island. "I hate this mail-in thing," Caceres said. "I see so many opportunities for problems." The problem last week was that some ballots were taken out of a mail-delivery routing sequence, which resulted in a long delay in getting them to their intended addresses, Island County Auditor Sheilah Crider said. The auditor's office in Coupeville mailed 43,244 ballots on Oct. 14, Crider said. Those ballots all were in set order for delivery, but at the U.S. Postal Service processing center in Everett something happened, the auditor said. Most likely, the ballots were mixed in with the heavy amount of mail resulting from the Columbus Day postal holiday on Monday, Oct. 13, Crider said. "When the ballots were delivered, there was a huge amount of mail to be processed. So a whole bunch of ballots were sent out to Island County out of order and then returned to the processing center," Crider said. "A lot of people became concerned when a spouse, for example, got a ballot and they did not." The problem has happened before, Crider said, and it wasn't isolated to Island County. Ballots in Chelan and Pierce counties were delayed because of problems at postal processing centers there, she said. The Island County Auditor's Office began issuing replacement ballots on Wednesday. Those who still have not received a ballot in the mail are urged to let the auditor's election office know as soon as possible, Crider said. At the Caceres house on Camano Island, the fifth ballot arrived on Wednesday. Now Jennifer and her husband Fernando and their sons Fernando, Raul and Brent can all vote in the general election. Still, Jennifer Caceres isn't happy about mail-in ballots. "I used to love going to my polling place and punching my ballot," she said. "It made me feel like I was really doing something." Reporter Gale Fiege: 425-339-3427 or gfiege@heraldnet.com. No ballot? If you did not get a ballot from the Island County auditor's elections office this week, call the office at 360-679-7366 or e-mail elections@co.island.wa.us. READER COMMENTS Be the first to comment. You must be a registered user and verify your e-mail address to post comments to blogs or articles on HeraldNet. To register, click here. To read other terms and conditions, click here. Log out

1. Snohomish County man dies of swine flu 2. Lynnwood bank reprimanded by government 3. Police ID make of vehicle in fatal hit-and-run 4. Armed man shot by deputies in Arlington 5. IRS joins puppy mill investigation 6. Jetty Island ready for sand castles 7. Boeing's 6-month tally: 1 net order 8. Warriors & Patriots: Many American Indians served before getting full citizenship rights 9. Movin' out 10. Marshals seize swindler's home 2 - Top 10 Stories Most Talked about 3 - Top 10 Stories Most Emailed

• Warriors looking for balance • Three Scots vying for QB slot • Jackson looks for another title • Decorated veteran continues to serve as active volunteer • City Council reviewing sign regulations • Wildcats get a peek at newcomers • Lynnwood still in rebuilding mode • Shoreline feels a kindergarten growth spurt • Leave the patriotic pyrotechnics to professionals, cities urge • Trading dollars for kilowatts New PUD energy conservation programs save ... • By John Wolcott SCBJ Editor • Record crowd at Paine Field’s General Aviation Day as FHC Celebrate ... • Celebration of aviation's history and future presented in multiple venue ... • The time is ripe for small businesses to take no prisoners • EPA proposal to regulate global-warming gases would be costly for small ... • Innovation helps the town of Forks to offset tough economy • Powering the people