CONTACT: 
Mary Hall, Thurston County Auditor 
tcauditor@co.thurston.wa.us 
360.786.5225 
711 Washington Relay 
 

OLYMPIA –The U.S. Postal Service delivered two General Election ballots to Thurston County Elections today that were discovered in an out-of-service USPS mailbox after Election Day. 

The ballots do not have postmarks. Both ballots have signatures and dates well before Election Day. They will be referred to the Canvassing Board to determine if they will be counted. 

If the Canvassing Board directs election staff to count the ballots, they will be tabulated and reflected in the next results update scheduled for Monday, November 27. The Canvassing Board will certify the November General Election on Tuesday, November 28. 

These ballots will not affect the outcome of any race in this election because they are not from jurisdictions with close races. 

The Canvassing Board meeting to consider these ballots will be held:

 Monday, November 27 at 10 a.m. 
Thurston Auditor – Elections Ballot Processing Center 
2905 29th Ave SW, Suite E 
Tumwater, WA 98512 

“We encourage voters to use official ballot drop boxes,” said Mary Hall, Thurston County Auditor. “Our staff pick up these ballots in teams of two and deliver them directly to our Ballot Processing Center. If a voter finds themselves in another county, they can use that county's official ballot drop box too.”

“The USPS is a vital partner in the vote-at-home process,” Hall said. “This issue is being addressed at the highest level of the organization to ensure that this will not happen in future elections.” 

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