County clerk tests vote counting system

Yamhill County Clerk Keri Hinton and her staff tested the county’s ballot-counting system Monday and found it to be working accurately.

Such tests are done before and after every election. Hinton will run another test following ballot counting on Nov. 5, when voters will choose a new president and people to fill seats in Congress, state offices, the county board of commissioners and mayorships and councils in local cities.

Four people witnessed the ballot counting test, including a News-Register reporter, a representative of the local Democratic party and two state workers who travel from county to county observing the process.

Hinton said ballots were delivered to the post office on Thursday, Oct. 17, and were scheduled to be in voters’ mailboxes by Monday, Oct. 21.

If you do not receive your ballot by mid-week, or have not received a Voters’ Pamphlet, call 503-434-7518 or by email at elections@yamhillcounty.gov.

The ballot includes federal, state, county and local races, including mayor and city council openings in all Yamhill County cities. A Chemeketa Community College district bond renewal request is on the ballot as are three nonpartisan county positions, including Board of Commissioners, Position 2, in which incumbent Lindsay Berschauer of McMinnville is challenged by Bubba David King of Newberg.

In the State House Dist. 24 race McMinnville Republican Lucetta Elmer, the incumbent, is challenged by McMinnville Democrat Lisa Pool. Running unopposed are Sam Elliott for sheriff and Paulette Alexandria for treasurer, a position to which Alexandria was appointed this summer after Kris Bledsoe resigned.

Oregon is a vote-by-mail state, but drop boxes are located in every community in Yamhill County, and were open starting Oct. 16.

Ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 5 or placed in a drop box before 8 p.m. on Election Day.

Voters are reminded to sign their ballot return envelope, and to sign only their own ballot. Ballots lacking signatures or bearing incorrect signatures will be delayed for counting and potentially can be disqualified.