The Humboldt County Election Office Secures Ballots

EUREKA, Calif. (KIEM)- The Humboldt County Election Office takes several measures to ensure that your vote is counted when you drop off your mail-in ballot at the drop box locations.

Drop box locations are important for the convenience of voters. They allow voters to vote safely from home and to have fewer people crowding the polling locations amidst the pandemic.

Kelly Sanders, Humboldt County clerk recorder, says “some people are a little bit worried about the mail… there have been some mail delivery issues and they weren’t as trusting of it, but we haven’t seen much problem with the mail here locally.”

The election office secures ballots by testing all voting equipment, keeping tabs on equipment with a paper trail, assigning two people to handle ballots, and by doing a manual tally after the election.

Sanders states, “…there’s a lot of protocols that are in place and we are very diligent about practicing those protocols… I think that everyone in Humboldt County should feel secure.”

The turnout of vote by mail ballots this year showed a noticeable increase compared to that of other years with approximately 57% of Humboldt County voters voting by mail.