May 3, 2022 4:00 a.m.

Ballots are beginning to be turned in for the May Primary Election.

Douglas County Clerk Daniel Loomis said as of late Monday, 516 ballots, or .59 percent of registered voters have returned their ballot. That lags slightly behind the participation rate for the same point in the 2020 primary.

Loomis offered reminders for those voting:

*Ballots must be “cast” no later than 8:00 p.m. on May 17th

*Voters can either use the U.S. Postal Service or any official ballot drop site, to cast their ballot through 8:00 p.m. on Election Day. A list of those locations are linked: https://douglascounty-oregon.us/179/Official-Drop-Site-Locations. Eight of them are now drive-up locations, including the new site at Canyonville City Hall

*Those who use the USPS, should mail their ballot one week in advance of the deadline to be safe

*Voters taking their ballot to the post office on or near Election Day, should ask staff to stamp their envelope with a hand-cancellation stamp. A ballot with a postmark after May 17th will not be counted

*Registered voters who haven’t received their ballot by this Friday, should contact the Clerk’s Office at the Courthouse

*Voters need to sign the ballot return envelope

Loomis said the number of registered voters has increased 6.3 percent, or 5,541 voters, since the 2020 May Primary Election.

Overall participation rates for the 2020 primary were 41.42 percent while for the 2018 primary they were 52.39 percent.