General election ballots mailed out this week

Ballots for the upcoming general election on Nov. 5 will be mailed out to Adams County voters this week.

Voters who require a replacement ballot or need additional voting assistance are asked to contact the Adams County Auditor's Office at (509) 659-3249 or visit the Adams County Elections Office at 210 W. Broadway Avenue, Suite 200, in Ritzville. Ballots need to be turned into a drop box or postmarked by 8 p.m. on Nov. 5.

Ballot drop box locations are available at 116 1/2 W 2nd St. in Lind, 216 E Main St. in Ritzville, and 165 S Main St. in Washtucna. On Election Day, the Adams County Courthouse will be open for ballot drop-off and use of accessible voting equipment between 8:30 a.m. and 8 p.m.

The only contested election in eastern Adams County is the Ritzville mayoral race between incumbent Mayor Gary Cook and challenger David Ahrens. The Journal will have interviews with both candidates in the Oct. 24 issue of The Journal.

There are also contested races in all three of the Othello School Board races on the ballot. Two of the four races for a seat on the Othello City Council are contested, as well as a contested race for a seat on the Adams County Hospital District No. 3 Board of Commissioners.

There are uncontested races for all four Ritzville City Council races on the ballot; both of the Lind Town Council races on the ballot; both of the Ritzville School Board races on the ballot; two of the Lind School Board races on the ballot; the Adams County Hospital District No. 2 race on the ballot; and all three of the Washtucna Town Council races on the ballot.

There are also several offices where no candidate filed to run during either the regular filing period in May. Those offices included the mayor of Washtucna position, a position on the Washtucna Town Council, two positions on the Lind School Board, and Park and Recreation positions in Ritzville, Othello, Lind and Washtucna.

There was a special filing period in late August for the offices with no filed candidate. The Journal sent an email last week to Adams County Auditor Heidi Hunt asking if any of the open offices had received any candidates during the special filing period, but had not heard back from Hunt by press time on Oct. 15.