Here’s what was found in suspicious Benton County ballot that stopped vote count

A check of a suspicious ballot envelope that stopped ballot counting for hours on election day Tuesday, Feb. 10, in Benton County found no explosive materials, the Benton County Sheriff’s Office announced Friday.

Instead, it was stuffed with some trash and unrelated documents.

At about 11 a.m. on election day the staff at the Benton County Election Center in Kennewick received a ballot envelope that was unusually heavy and oddly shaped.

The envelope was part of a batch of ballots picked up by workers that morning from their Richland Post Office box.

The election staff immediately closed the center.

They followed their safety protocol, notifying security personnel at the county and at the Washington Secretary of State’s Office.

Out of caution, Benton County detectives, including major crimes detectives, responded to the election center along with the Richland Police Department Bomb Squad.

The sealed ballot was sent to an independent forensic lab, which found it stuffed with household trash and small documents.

The sheriff’s office still is determining whether any laws were broken.

The Benton County Election Center stopped counting ballots and was closed down for about a half day on Feb. 10 after discovering the suspicious envelope.

Election officials told the Tri-City Herald they were able to reopen about 3:30 p.m. and remained open until 8 p.m. for voters to submit their ballots and update their registration. Election night results were posted at the usual time, about 8:10 p.m.

Ballots received over the weekend before election day had already had signatures checked and been processed.

Outstanding ballots, including those postmarked by election day, have now been counted, and the election is scheduled to be certified Friday, Feb. 20.

“We always have the safety and security of our team at the forefront, and try to balance that with making sure we get the ballots processed timely and the results processed timely and accurately,” Benton County Auditor Brenda Chilton told the Herald on election day.

The election in Benton and Franklin counties included several school levy measures and a library vote in Pasco.