Absentee votes include stamp

Voting absentee won't cost a cent, the Kootenai County clerk assures.

Voters who cast write-in absentee ballots for the Nov. 8 elections will get the postage paid on their returned ballots, Cliff Hayes said Tuesday.

This saves money for voters and the county, he said.

Those casting their ballots won't have to pay for gas or stamps, he pointed out.

And paying postage is cheaper for the county, Hayes added, than providing poll workers at satellite voting stations for two weeks.

Postage costs for up to 10,000 voters is estimated to cost about $5,5000, while the satellite offices would rack up to $30,000, according to the clerk's announcement.

"Since this is the first year the county Elections Department has run every city and fire district election, we're unable to predict absentee voter turnout," Hayes said. "What we do know is that a home mailbox is a very convenient place for voters to cast their ballots."