The Island County Auditor’s Office next week will mail out more than 50,000 ballots next week for the Nov. 5 general election.

Island County Deputy Auditor Michele Reagan said ballots should be mailed on Oct. 16, but the statute allows for the ballots to be mailed out by Oct. 18.

“We’re going to beat that by a couple of days,” Reagan said noting that ballots for registered voters living overseas or are in the military went to the mailbox Sept. 18.

Even though ballots need to be postmarked by Nov. 5, the majority of the ballots received typically come in during the days leading up to the election deadline.

Reagan said staff sees the largest number of ballots the day before, election day and the day after the deadline. Of the nearly 43,000 votes cast during the 2012 general election, nearly 14,000 ballots were received on those three days.

The Port of Coupeville has two contested seats up for election this year. Jim Patton, who finishes his tenure as the port’s executive director at the end of the year, is running to fill the seat being vacated by Benye Weber. He is running against Bill Larsen. Recently appointed commissioner Mike Diamanti is running against Richard Bowen to fill the remainder of Laura Blankenship’s term. She resigned earlier in 2013. Also on the ballot is a measure shrinking commissioner terms from six years to four years.

Voters will also consider a $50 million bond measure to fund an expansion and modernization of Whidbey General Hospital.

Ballots have to be postmarked by Nov. 5 in order to be counted. People can also drop off ballots at several ballots located throughout Island County; those locations include the Island County Auditor’s election office on North Main Street in Coupeville.  For more information, go to wei.sos.wa.gov/county/island/en/Elections/Pages/default.aspx