Some Bend gas tax ballots returned to voters; too late to mail back
An undetermined but apparently small number of ballots in Tuesday’s special election on Bend’s proposed 5-cent gas tax were returned to voters due to U.S. Postal Service processing snafu, officials said Monday. They reminded all that it’s too late to mail them back in and have them count.
“Some March 8 Special Election ballots were inadvertently mailed back to the voter rather than to the County Clerk’s office,” the announcement said.
“If this has happened to you, please deliver your ballot to an official drop box by 8 pm on Tuesday — do not mail.”
“U.S. Postal Service equipment inadvertently read both sides of the envelope and returned some ballots back to the voter rather than delivering them to the County Clerk’s office,” the announcement continued.
Deschutes County Clerk Blankenship told NewsChannel 21 they “don’t think it’s very many” ballots affected – “somewhere under 10.”
“The post office became aware a few days ago and was putting manual processes in place to contain the ballots at the Bend post office and getting them to us,” Blankenship said, but the clerk’s office got “four or five calls (Monday) morning” of ballots being returned.
“We also have taken the extra step, if they slip through and get to Portland (where Central Oregon mail is processed), they are watching for them at the Portland post office,” she added. “Any they get there would be delivered to (the) Multnomah County (Clerk’s Office), which is an official drop site, and then get back to us.”
Those received there by 8 p.m. also would count, Blankenship said.
Here are the official drop site locations for Tuesday’s Special Election:
Deschutes Service Building
1300 NW Wall St
(Box located on Parkway side of building)
Available 7 days a week
Election Day, Tuesday, March 8: open until 8 p.m.
Deschutes County Road Department
61150 SE 27th St
Available 7 days a week
Election Day, Tuesday, March 8: open until 8 p.m.
Drive-By Drop Site
Corner of Wall St and Lafayette Ave
(Parking Area)
Friday & Monday, March 4 & 7, between the hours of 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Election Day, Tuesday, March 8, between the hours of 7 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Additional information is available online at Deschutes.org/clerk.
