Deadline to turn in ballots for special election is tonight

Your teachers always warned you not to procrastinate on your homework, so why would you delay casting your ballot?

As of Monday morning, 49,573 of 182,984 voters had returned their ballots for today’s special election, which features school funding measures at most school districts around the county.

Vancouver and Ridgefield Public Schools are asking voters to approve school bond issues that would rebuild campuses and build new schools. Vancouver’s bond issue is for $458 million, while Ridgefield’s is for $78 million.

Bond issues require 60 percent approval to pass, and 40 percent of voters who participated in November’s general election must vote for the election to be valid. As of Monday, Vancouver was still about 4,800 votes shy of its 27,000 threshold, according to the Clark County Elections Office. So far, 22,231 voters returned ballots in Vancouver Public Schools, and that includes any voter who may have had their ballot challenged due to failing to sign their affidavit, or whose signatures may not match in the voter registration database.

Five other districts — Battle Ground, Camas, Hockinson, Washougal and Woodland — are running maintenance and operations levies.

Battle Ground is seeking a $136.6 million maintenance and operations levy over four years. Camas is seeking a $67.4 million maintenance and operations levy and a $7.1 million technology levy, both over four years. Hockinson is asking for $1.5 million over six years to spend on a new athletic field at Hockinson High School. Washougal is running a $23.3 programs and operations levy and a $2.4 million technology levy, each over three years. Woodland is asking for a $14.3 million maintenance and operations levy over three years.

Levies need only pass with a simple majority, and there is no law mandating how many votes must be cast for validation.

Ballots must be postmarked by today or turned in to a ballot drop-off location by 8 p.m. For a full list of drop-off locations, visit clark.wa.gov/elections.