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CONTACT THE ENTERPRISE Jocelyn Robinson, Copy editor jrobinson@heraldnet.com

PCO candidates needed on ballots

By Evan Smith
Enterprise forum editor

As their ballots arrive in the mail, most Snohomish County voters will find no candidates for either Democratic precinct committee officer or Republican PCO and many have no candidates for either.

In the Brier, Edmonds, Lynnwood, Mill Creek, Mountlake Terrace and Woodway areas, I count 58 precincts with no candidates for Democratic PCO and 72 with no candidates for Republican PCO, including 36 with none for either.

If you find either no Democrat or no Republican PCO candidate on your ballot, you can fill the void by filing as a registered write-in candidate.

Call the elections division of the county auditor's office (425-388-3411 ext. 3444, or 1-800-562-4367 ext. 3444) or send an e-mail to get a registration form, and submit it with a $1 fee; then write your name in for the office and get another vote or two if you can.

If you're the only candidate, one vote could get you elected and give you a chance to influence Legislative district and county party policies, and, through them, state party policy.

Elections officials count write-in votes for partisan offices only for registered candidates.

There's no longer a minimum number of votes required for winning. In the past, the minimum was based on a percentage of the votes cast for the leading Republican or Democratic vote-getter in the precinct, but with our new voting system, that's no longer true.

We read lots of complaints about the political parties. Here's a chance to have them hear your voice.

The wrong time for a Sound Transit vote

By the time you read this, the Sound Transit board may have decided to propose a ballot measure for the November ballot to expand light rail to Snohomish County and other areas.

If the board wants to get a tax measure on the November ballot it must decide within two weeks.

With rising fuel costs, it may be the right time to expand public transit, including light rail to serve our area, but it's not the right time to put a Sound Transit light-rail proposal on the ballot.

Many of us are willing to tax ourselves to expand transit, but we're also concerned about giving money to an agency that does not seem to be responsive to taxpayers.

Before considering another tax levy, Sound Transit should do the following:

1. Wait to expand light rail until it shows some success on the first light-rail line, the one from downtown Seattle to Seattle-Tacoma Airport.

2. Replace Sound Transit with another agency or restructure Sound Transit by creating an elected board.

Sound Transit has earned a reputation as an entity that is not responsive to voters. Other agencies that ask for our tax money have elected boards. Sound Transit should also have an elected board.


Evan Smith is Enterprise forum editor. Send comments to him at entopinion@heraldnet.com.