Clinton County Ready to Mail Out Mail-In Ballots

LOCK HAVEN – Clinton County government has received the ballots the county will be using in the Nov. 3 election. The 30,000 ballots arrived by truck Thursday morning shortly after the county gave an update on election procedures at the county commissioners’ voting session.

County chief clerk Jann Meyers said county election staff will work through the weekend to process and mail out the mail-in ballots which have been requested from registered county voters. She said those who requested a mail-in ballot should receive the ballot within seven to ten days. More than 3,000 such ballots had been requested at last report.

Meanwhile the county has installed a temporary ballot receptacle box, mounted adjacent to the main entrance to its Piper Building. Meyers said it will be emptied twice daily and under 24-hour camera surveillance. Meanwhile the county will soon be installing, upon receipt, a larger, permanent box to be placed in the Piper Building parking lot to allow a drive-through depositing of ballots. That box too will be under around-the-clock camera surveillance.

Commissioner Angela Harding said election officials have been receiving multiple “angry, negative phone calls” about the voting process. She said the county is following the rules as set forth by others and asked those upset to “please refrain from calling our office.”

The county officials noted the county election procedures are contained in the ballot selection process plan submitted to, and approved, by the state.

The county had said last month that those seeking a mail-in ballot must check the form box requesting the ballot; also that Oct. 19 is the last date to register to vote in November and Oct. 27 is the last date to apply for a mail-in ballot.