UMATILLA COUNTY — The Umatilla County Elections Division has completed the hand count of ballots to verify voting machine accuracy.

“The machines were spot on,” according to Administrative Services Director Dan Lonai.

Umatilla County Commissioner Cindy Timmons in her weekly update Tuesday, Dec. 3, reported the elections department completed the exercise on Dec. 2. Elections staff selected random batches of ballots from the presidential race, Oregon Supreme Court judge race and Ballot Measure 115.

Timmons also reported the Oregon Secretary of State has certified the county’s November general election.

Steve Craigen, the county elections/records supervisor said the county had 979 ballots returned with no signature or the signature did not match, according to Timmons. Election staff then mailed those voters a “Signature Update” letter that had a voter registration card or a “Notice of Unsigned Ballot Envelope” letter.

He said 265 voters responded by Nov. 26, so the county counted those ballots in full.

But 714 voters did not respond. The county did not count those ballots. The county had mailed 610 of those voters the Signature Update letter and will change their voter status to Inactive.

“These voters will not receive future ballots,” according to Timmons, “nor will their signatures be accepted if they sign a petition until they update their registration information.”