As of 10 this morning, Benton County had topped the 50 percent mark for voter turnout in the election that ends tonight.

The tally was "50.9 percent and climbing," Elections Supervisor Jill Van Buren said.

The deadline for voting is 8 p.m. today.

State law requires majority approval by at least 50 percent of all eligible voters when money measures are on the ballot, so reaching the validation point is critical for the special election to even be counted.

Because today is Election Day, voters who have yet to deliver their ballots should not mail them. Rather, envelopes need to be placed in an official county drop box.

Official ballot drop boxes are located around the county and are painted blue with the Benton County logo on the side.

Several drop sites will close prior to the 8 p.m. deadline, but there are two boxes that are accessible 24 hours per day in town. One is located on Fifth Street across from the Benton County Courthouse. The other is near Wells Fargo Bank in the Timberhill Shopping Center.

Voters are deciding a pair of statewide measures, a Benton County property tax levy that seeks to levy 90 cents per $1,000 valuation and several other levies and bonds around the county.

A year ago, voters narrowly rejected a county levy that was nearly identical to the one on the ballot this year.

Levy advocates spent the weekend calling voters encouraging their support to overcome the 50 percent threshold. The group Citizens for a Safe and Healthy Benton County spent nearly $16,000 promoting the levy.

For more voting information, call the county elections office at 766-6756.

Matt Neznanski can be reached at 758-9518 or matt.neznanski@lee.net

Benton County voter response as of 10 a.m. today

Eligible voters/ballots returned/percent returned

Benton County levy

44,539 23,335 50.9 percent

Monroe wastewater bond

290 126 43.4 percent

Harrisburg School District levy

23 14 60.9 percent

Palestine Fire District levy

524 307 58.6 percent

BALLOT DROP SITES

Ballots are due by 8 p.m. today. They can be dropped at the following locations in Benton County at the hours listed.

Benton County Courthouse

120 N.W. Fourth St.

8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Fifth Street

Across the street from the Benton County Courthouse

180 N.W. Fifth St.

24-hour drop box

Wells Fargo Bank

In the Timberhill Shopping Center

2543 N.W. Kings Blvd.

24-hour drop box

John Boy's Alsea Mercantile Store

186 Main St., Alsea

6 a.m. to close of voting

City Limits Market

5800 N.W. Highway 99W, North Corvallis

6 a.m. to close of voting

Corvallis Public Library

645 N.W. Monroe Ave.

10 a.m. to close of voting

LBCC - Benton Center

757 N.W. Polk Ave.

7:30 a.m. to close of voting

Monroe City Hall

664 Commercial St., Monroe

8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Closed from noon to 1 p.m.

OSU Valley Library

201 S.W. Waldo Place (off Jefferson Avenue)

7:30 a.m. to close of voting

North Albany Middle School

1205 N.W. North Albany Rd.

7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Philomath Public Library

1050 Applegate St.

10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Corvallis Senior Citizens Center

2601 N.W. Tyler Ave.

8 a.m. to 4 p.m.