Clark County Elections Department officials confirm ballots can be cured until 5 p.m. on Nov. 28

Marie Gluesenkamp Perez has claimed victory in the Third Congressional District race but Republican Joe Kent is asking all voters to check the status of their ballot and to cure all those that have been rejected.

Perez, the Democrat from Skamania County held an 11,123-vote lead on Election Night over Kent. In the latest results in the race, released by the Secretary of State’s office at 5:49 p.m. Monday (Nov. 14), Perez had a 3,268-vote lead – 50.24 percent (157,365) to 49.2 percent (154,097).

“We won. I am humbled, honored, and grateful,’’ Perez wrote in a social media post Sunday. “I pledge to work every day to live up to the responsibility placed in me. I will defend our rights. I will protect our democracy. And I will deliver the help working and middle class families need.’’

Perez added another post Sunday with a photo stating that she was already in Washington D.C. “getting oriented.’’ 

Kent also used social media to make a statement to his supporters Sunday.

“What the media says is irrelevant, its another narrative designed to stop voters from ballot curing & to force me to concede – not gonna happen,’’ Kent wrote. “We’re on the streets ballot curing. The fight goes on while the talking heads talk.’’

Kent also sent a Monday email to his supporters reiterating that message.

“While left-wing media are trying to convince you my election is over, let me re-assure you it is not,” Kent wrote. “There remain over twelve-thousands of ballots left to count, and we anticipate ten thousand ballots that were rejected that we can cure. We are very much in this fight.”

Clark County Auditor Greg Kimsey told Clark County Today Friday that he believes there are about 45,000 ballots left to be counted in Clark County, the largest of the seven counties that make up the Third Congressional District. Kimsey estimated that his office would have the remaining ballots counted by Monday. 

Kent continued to ask his supporters to make sure they’re going to the Washington GOV site to confirm that their vote has actually been counted. Kent also urged his supporters to check and see if their ballots have been rejected and need to be cured.

“You can go through, you can see the screenshots of what’s supposed to happen because ballot curing might become very critical in this,’’ Kent said earlier this week. “We can cure ballots up until the 28th. So that’s the important thing. Check that site right now.’’

The Third Congressional District includes six entire counties – Clark, Skamania, Cowlitz, Lewis, Pacific and Wahkiakum – and also part of Thurston County. 

Updated election results

Clark County Today will continue to report on updated election results. For updated results in Clark County, go to ClarkVotes.com. For Washington statewide election results, including federal races such as the Third Congressional District, go to VoteWA.gov. For state of Oregon results, go to OregonVotes.gov.