Sequim area voters will see a big difference the next time they head to the ballot box.

Clallam County Elections officials recently installed a larger ballot box at its Sequim Village Shopping Center drop-off site located in the JCPenney parking lot.

With a maximum capacity of 3,500 ballots, the new ballot box is nearly three times bigger than the previous one. Port Angeles-based Ken Reandeau Excavating was contracted to put in the secure 30-by-36-by-36-inch box, manufactured by Fort Knox Mailbox, in late February.

Auditor Shoona Riggs said steadily increasing use of the centralized drop-off site and an anticipated high voter turnout for the General Election in November made installing a larger Sequim ballot box a high priority this year.

“Nearly 8,000 voters used the Sequim drop box in the election last February so voter turnout was a driving force,” Riggs said. “We expect that number to continue going up heading into the presidential election and beyond as more and more voters become aware of it.”

Next on the elections calendar is Washington’s 2016 Presidential Primary, held May 24. Ballots will be mailed to all Clallam County voters on May 4 and are due by Election Day. Military and overseas voters were mailed ballots in early April.

Contact Clallam County Elections at 417-2221 or visit www.clallam.net/elections for more election information.