News that this November’s Pierce County absentee ballot will cost an estimated 61 cents to mail has prompted some to wonder whether ballots with insufficient postage will be delivered and counted.
But a little-known county policy should ensure ballots count even if they lack the needed postage, according to county Auditor Jan Shabro.
In addition, the county will pick up the postage for thousands of voters who don’t have access to polling places.
Shabro this week confirmed a county policy of paying for ballots mailed without sufficient postage. She said the office’s contract with the U.S. Postal Service specifies that the ballots will be delivered even without the correct postage, and requires the county to pay the difference.
“To our knowledge, short a post office error, all ballots are forwarded to us and are counted,” Shabro said.
She said the county does not publicize the policy because it wants people to pay the correct postage.
But in light of recent criticism of her office, Shabro said she thinks “the public should know the facts and not be worried about their ballots being returned for insufficient postage.”
Last week Julie Anderson – who is running for auditor against Shabro – criticized Shabro’s handling of the return postage.
Anderson said Shabro should have done more to pay for postage or at least done a better job of informing voters they’d be paying extra. And she said voters shouldn’t have to worry whether their ballot will be received and counted.
Shabro still hopes voters will pay the required postage to mail their ballots and spare her office’s budget.
“I think most people are honest and will either put the correct postage on their return envelopes or will use our express booths, ballot drop boxes or bring their ballots to the polls so they will not have to pay any postage,” she said.
The auditor’s office also confirmed the county will pay postage for some voters who can’t cast their ballots at the polls.
Under state law, the county can designate precincts with fewer than 200 registered poll voters as vote-by-mail precincts. In those precincts, there is no polling place; you can only vote by mail.
Shabro said it’s more cost-effective for the office to pay postage for absentee ballots in those districts than it is to staff a polling place or ballot drop-off booth.
According to elections manager Lori Augino, Pierce County has 91 vote-by-mail precincts with about 8,000 voters.
Augino said the cost of postage for their ballots varies based on the turnout in any given election, because the county pays postage only for ballots that are mailed. The county paid $1,258.52 to pay for postage in the August primary.
David Wickert: 253-274-7341
david.wickert@thenewstribune.com
blogs.thenewstribune.com/politics MAIL OR DELIVER YOUR BALLOT
Mail ballots must be postmarked or delivered to an official drop-off site no later than Tuesday. Mailed Pierce County ballots will require 61 cents of postage because of the size of the ballot. About 8,000 voters will receive postage paid ballot envelopes because their precincts are vote-by-mail only. Drop off sites include ballot drop boxes, drive-up booths and polling places (on Election Day only).
DROP BOXES
Open now until 8 p.m. Election Day.
• Gig Harbor Fire Station, 6711 Kimball Drive
• Parkland/Spanaway Pierce County Library, 13718 Pacific Ave. S.
• Pierce County Annex, 2401 S. 35th St., Tacoma
• Pierce County Election Center, 2501 S. 35th St., Tacoma
• Soundview Medical Plaza, 3611 S. D St., Tacoma
• Tacoma Area Coalition of Individuals with Disabilities (TACID), 6315 S. 19th St., Tacoma
• County-City Building, 930 Tacoma Ave. S., Second Floor Lobby (Open 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mondays-Fridays.)
DRIVE-UP BOOTHS
Open 7 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday-Tuesday
• Town Center at Browns Point, 1000 Town Center, Tacoma
• Bonney Lake Fred Meyer, 20901 Highway 410, Bonney Lake
• Surprise Lake Shopping Center, 900 Meridian E., Milton
• Purdy Fire Station, 5210 144th St. N.W., Gig Harbor
• Safeway/Big 5, 4811 Point Fosdick Square, Gig Harbor
• Lakewood Towne Center, 6000 Main St. S.W., Lakewood
• Thun Field, 16715 Meridian E., South Hill
• Sumner Fred Meyer, 1201 Valley Ave., Sumner
• Fred Meyer, 1100 N. Meridian/River Road, Puyallup
• Bethel Station Rite Aid, 22311 Mountain Highway E., Spanaway
• Sprinker Recreation Center, 14824 S. C St., Spanaway
• Green Firs Village Shopping Center, 40th Street and Bridgeport Way West, University Place
• Rite Aid, 1912 N. Pearl St., Tacoma
• Oasis of Hope Ministry, 1937 S. G St., Tacoma
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