New postage-paid ballot envelopes sent to 2 counties

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Voters in two counties in Washington state who had mistakenly been sent ballot-return envelopes that require postage will receive postage-paid envelopes in the mail soon.

The secretary of state's office said Tuesday that Tacoma-based vendor Immedia was printing and sending the new envelopes and a letter of explanation to about 55,000 voters in Grant and Asotin Counties.

Elections officials in the two counties had notified Secretary of State Kim Wyman Monday that about 40,000 voters in Grant County and 15,000 voters in Asotin had received the wrong ballot-return envelopes.

The letter from Immedia says that post offices in the two counties have said they will treat any unstamped ballot-return envelopes already sent the same as postage-free business-reply mail.

Earlier this year, an agreement between Wyman and Gov. Jay Inslee ensured that voters in all 39 counties would be able to send their ballots in without postage.

Associated Press